OCA MAGAZINE #44 / PEOPLE 3 by Hertfordshire press

ISSN 2053-1036 RRP: £20.00 / $25.00 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM ESTABLISHED 2009

OCA PEOPLE

BUILDING THE LANDBRIDGE WITH EURASIA

[ EURASIA 2022]

BRUCE GASTON

KNOW THE CULTURE OF THE SOCIETY THAT YOU LIVING AND WORKING WITH

10 ARTISTS 5 FILMMAKERS 25 WRITERS

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FROM THE EDITOR

WELCOME WORD

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this edition of OCA people and to introduce to you some of the amazing creative members of the Eurasian Creative Guild.

are that creative or open minded but I have hope that we will be able to influence them and that harmony and accord can prevail.

One of the great things about being the chairman of this unique global organisation is meeting the people who are part of it. I often refer to it as a ‘creative family’ and the interviews that you are about to read are real testament to this. From different countries, backgrounds, ethnicities and different ages the members all have one thing in common creativity!

I am looking forward to meeting new members of the guild and hearing your own stories and publishing them here in OCA magazine. I wish all the creative people in the world the strength and fortitude to continue creating and making the world a better place for everyone.

Reading, art, music and drama all have the ability to allow you to escape- into new worlds, other peoples worlds, often to better places or at least to different places. Unfortunately the ‘real’ world seems to be staggering from one crisis to another and throwing challenges at us from every angle. I believe that creative people, with their inquisitive open minds, are the ones that can not only rise to the challenges but also have the solutions to the problems and can see ways through issues. Unfortunately I don’t think that many of our ‘leaders’

Yours, Gareth Stamp Chairman Eurasian Creative Guild 2022

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ART Recently, a unique platform has opened on Binance NFT. My paintings are sold on the Binance NFT World_ Art platform. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? RA: Actually there are loads of examples of the artists of the era of the titans of the Renaissance and Paul Cezanne, and Picasso. I was brought up by the classics, but this changes over time and the philosophical approach to painting begins to prevail. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? RA: My exhibition in the center of Europe. An exhibition was curated by the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) in Belgium in Brussels. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? RA: This is the philosophy hidden in my paintings, it is both in the search for composition and in connection with unity with nature.

RAVIL ABDULOV THE ART OF PAINTING IS THE LANGUAGE OF FEELINGS OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Ravil Abdulov: My path of constant search for myself is a deep study of the world experience of art, which I pass through the prism of my consciousness, analyze, modify, transform my vision. In 1991 I was elected to the Union of Artists of the USSR, which was a big success for that time. In 2011, at the republican art project “The Art of Independence’’, I took first place in the southern region.

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OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? RA: Thanks to the Eurasian Creative Guild (London), I feel a deep connection with world culture, where the value of the artist’s personality is a priority in life. I feel an inextricable connection with world culture. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? RA: The Art of painting does not need words, it is the language of feelings, it is transmitted through color, composition, line, spot, you have to be open to the Universe and it will answer the same. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? RA: Creativity should not be closed in itself. My desire is to actively participate in the activities of the Guild, and it will answer you in the same way, creativity will enrich you all.

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ART OCA: Where did you learn to draw in Uzbekistan, who were your drawing teachers? TA: During my time in Uzbekistan I drew primarily out of fun and to express the ideas in my head in a visual manner, my family is made up of a number of creative people who have helped me improve my art and motivation to create that art. OCA: How did you get the idea to write a book for children? TA: Since discovering various comic book authors I’ve always been inspired to make my own comic book and after translating Kamran Salayev’s ‘Elish and Wicker Tales’ in 2018, I was captivated by the wondrous story and colourful characters and it became a world that I thought would work really well in comic book form. OCA: To whom did you address your book? What is the focus age of a children group? TA: Whilst I wasn’t aware of it at the time of me starting to make the comic, ‘Elish and Wicker Tales’ was a book made to help and support children that are having difficulty living with autism. This made my drive to create the comic even greater because I knew that what I was doing was going to help a lot of struggling children around the world as well as generally being an enjoyable read for all kinds of children.

TIMUR AKHMEDJANOV I‘VE ALWAYS BEEN INSPIRED TO MAKE MY OWN COMIC BOOK OCA Magazine: Since we met, it means you are a member of the guild. Why did you decide to join the Guild? Timur Akhmedjanov: To share and express my creativity and to work with other creative people in both Eurasia and the world as a whole . OCA: I know that you are from Uzbekistan, what are you doing in London? TA: Currently I am studying at the ‘London Film Academy’ to pursue a career in creative media and film writing in particular.

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OCA: What is your book about? I know that it’s comics, why did you choose such a manner of telling the story? TA: The book is about a shy boy going outside of his comfort zone to save the world despite him having nothing to do with the situation, this is the kind of powerful storytelling that I thought was important to tell to the children of today. I personally really enjoy reading comics as well as graphic novel adaptations of various books because it allows the story to be conveyed through a different creative lens and for people to enjoy it in a more expressive and powerful way. OCA:Who helped you to publish your book and in what languages will it be released? TA: The project began on a crowdfunding website called ‘Indiegogo’ and with the support of over 200 kind-hearted people we were able to make the project into a reality. Hertfordshire Press, the publishing house, has done a tremendous job of promoting the event online as well as helping me work on the comic from behind the scenes. At launch, the book will be published in English, but very soon we are also planning

to release the books in: Russian, Kyrgyz, as well many other languages. OCA: Will it be released in the state language of Uzbekistan? TA: Right now we are looking for translators to help us spread the story as much as we can and if the opportunity arises to translate the book into Uzbek, we will certainly take it! OCA: Will you continue to write books for children with special needs - autistics? TA: The ‘Elish and the Wicker Tale’ comic book is one part of a long, probably 10 part/issue series, depending on how things go with this book as well as the time I must dedicate to write the book, I’m hoping I can carry on writing the series until it’s eventual conclusion. OCA:Tell us please about your future plans TA: My field of aspiration is film but I am interested in lots of aspects of creative media which is very flexible and unpredictable. Right now I’m studying and generally just trying to figure things out until I’m comfortable enough to find a specific passion which I hope to follow in my adult life.

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LITERATURE Creative Guild. I’m one of the founders and a manager of a literary theatre “Arion”. I’m a author of poetry collections “Above the Abyss of the Worlds”, “The Ghosts of Eldorado”, “Selenastra” and two scientific works in the field of literature theory: “The Cryptography of the Poetic Form” and “The Atomic Model of the Sound Order”. I am also a translator of collections of Armenian poets Mikael Akhtyan, Stanislav Melkonyan, Anaida Bostanjan and Okro Okroyan. My poems were translated into Armenian and English. I am Diploma-recipient of the V International Forum “Golden Knight”, in 2014, a winner of the VIII International Festival in Brussels held by the Eurasian Creative Guild in Brussels in 2019. I won the Order of St. Elijah Chavchavadze in 2017, the Grand Prix of the Lermontov competition in honor of his 200th anniversary in 2013, the poetry competition of science fiction writers in Feodosia in 2016.

MIKHAIL ANANOV LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE OCA Magazine: Tell us about yourself and your creative work. Mikhail Ananov: I’m a poet, a poetry translator, prose writer, playwright, literary critic, journalist, publicist, theorist, sonetologist and I am also engaged in mathematical modeling in the field of poetic art. I’m a member of several creative unions, including international ones: Union of Writers of Georgia, Pushkin Society of Russian-Language Writers “Arion”, the Vernatun Union of Armenian Writers of Georgia, international club of science fiction of Crimea “Fandango”. I’m also a member of the Advisory Board of the Eurasian

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OCA: What does “Eurasianism” mean to you? MA: In my own understanding, it is a convergence of the two cultures of Europe and Asia which blurs the border between us, as representatives of two different peoples in our views and in spirit. In the past this border was obvious, but things are changing over time and our relationships are becoming much better and making it worth presenting ourselves in the new world. And I should say that the Guild plays an important role in it. OCA: Name your favourite artists MA: Among classic writers it is of course Alexander Pushkin who I treat as my ‘teacher’. He’s a great personality and I’m striving to reach him like striving to reach the sun. Another my ‘teacher’ – Edgar Poe, a master of the psychology genre. I recommend all artists to read his book called ‘Philosophy of Art’ in which he step by step and in detail describes the process of creating a masterpiece. Indeed, I also admire artists from other spheres: painting, music, theatre, film. My favourite artists are also Rubens, Mozart, Shakespeare, Coppola OCA: Have you ever taken part in the events organised by the Eurasian Creative Guild (Lon-

en, but also the number of countries that represent it, the number of projects, events and so on. In addition, it allows an absentee participation in festivals which is some kind of bridge between us that strengthens our relationship and facilitates creative approaches to solve problems. We live in worrying times and I have no doubts that our meetings help to bring more kindness and warmth to our world. OCA: Is there any personal project that you would like to tell us about? MA: I have quite a big project: I want to found a rock band which would not only perform its own songs but also translations of famous English songs. First steps are already made. Besides, I’m translating rock poetry including songs of Deep Purple and Animals. I told Marat Akhmejanov about my plans and he promised to introduce me to the producers of Deep Purple. I also talked about this with John Farndon who got really interested in it. OCA:Tell us about creative societies in Tbilisi. MA: The first society represents Russian-speaking writers led by Nika Dzhindzharadze who gathers creative people in the House of the Caucasus and organizes musical poetic evening events.The guests are people from many countries. don)? MA: Yes. I took a part-time participation in the VIII International Festival of Eurasian Creative Guild held in Brussels where I presented my speech to the participants. I also participated in a contest of small prose and even became a diploma winner in the nomination “Generals of the world for peace” for the story “A very interesting guy”, dedicated to Vladimir Vysotsky. I write tales and plays for children of different ages. In the 30th anniversary issue of our “On the Hills of Georgia” almanac my play was published in “The New Little Humpbacked Horse” poems. There is a story behind it: the director of the theatre named after Griboedov – Nikolai Sventitski, whose dream was to bring together all the characters of Russian tales, asked me in person to write it. OCA: What does Eurasian Creative Guild mean to you? MA: It means a lot to me. Over the past few years, not only the number of members in the Guild has ris-

I want to talk about ‘Arion’ briefly. Apart from theatrical productions, there are also various literary contests, quizzes, events and celebrations. At one of such events, I met Marat Akhmejanov and this motivated me to join the Guild. The second society is Tbilisi Armenians which has quite a wide audience. Their cultural centres are Hayartun and the House of Hovhannes Tumanyan where they organise all kinds of events. The third society is Georgian writers and cultural workers. They have many cultural centres, including the Writers Union, and I often join their events as a poet and a translator of Georgian poetry. My daughter Anna joins me in the events, performances, theatrical productions, melodeclamations, musical, poetic and creative evenings.

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ART Leonardo Da Vinci. I tried myself in different directions in search of my style. Painted graphics, watercolor, pastel, also painted in oils in the directions of cubism, realism, impasta.There were also works on biblical themes, but later inspired by the works of Shishkin, I realized that I like to paint landscapes much more. And in 2020 there was a new round in my work. I switched to a new direction for me - “Abstractionism” and drip painting, almost completely devoting myself to a new direction. Also, in parallel with this, I tried techniques that were interesting to me, such as watercolor, sauce and pastel. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? SB: Perhaps the main achievement in the period from 2021 to 2022 is joining the Guild and the fact that I finally found and defined my own style for myself.

SERGEY BABYAKOV “I FINALLY FOUND AND DEFINED MY OWN STYLE..” OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Sergey Babyakov: I am Sergey Babyakov, an inclusive artist. Was born in 1978 in Taldykorga city. I have been painting for over 20 years. I began to comprehend the basics of art at the age of 11 by enrolling in a children’s art school. Due to illness, the educational process had to be interrupted for two years. But I felt a real craving for art already as an adult, at the age of 20, and continued to independently comprehend the art of painting. I bought various art magazines studying and focusing on such famous artists as Rembrandt,Vangogh, Caravaggio,

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OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? SB: This question is not easy to answer, because I believe that each artist is unique in his own way, and the paintings are valuable in themselves as a layer or segment of a certain time in history during which they were painted. Likewise, my paintings bear a certain imprint of this time. Perhaps there is some similarity with the works of other authors, but at the same time they are not similar and individual in themselves, since abstractionism for me is a double freedom.There are no boundaries in this direction, there are no rules, and I can express on canvas my emotions, feelings, everything that was hidden deep in my soul and now tear it free. I write my works not with a brush, but with my heart, with my inner eye with its own special philosophical meaning. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? SB: In December 2020, on the instructions of Marlan Nysanbayev, I joined the Eurasian Creative Guild(London) as the “Ambassador”. There I met other artists and very interesting creative people. And already on February 20, 2021, in the new gallery “ZvagWard” I took part in the exhibition “The World of Colours of

Eurasia”. On March 5, 2021, I exhibited my works at the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, Almaty at the exhibition “Call of Eternity”. In August 2021, I became one of the top ten finalists of the “Voices of Friends: poetry & Art” contest, held in Shuchinsk, Borovoe. In September 2021, was published in the glossy magazine “Bohemia” as one of the best artists of Kazakhstan. In the fall of 2021, the painting “Fruit of Angels” was included in the first issue of the cultural and tourist guide to the Burabay National Park, published in London “Burabay 4Seasons”. And it all happened thanks to the Guild. Before that, for more than 20 years, I seemed to have sat in a dark hole. And now I participate in exhibitions and competitions. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? SB: For the past two years, my main motivation (and part-time muse) has been my wife, who supports me in every possible way, does not let me give up. She gives me faith in myself and that everything I do is not in vain. I would also like to see a gallery of contemporary art finally appear in my hometown, where creative people could gather, create and exhibit their works. Thus, to help young artists advance and raise the level of culture of the people of the city who will come to the exhibitions. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? SB: I would like to wish the members of the Guild and creative people who are just starting their journey not to be afraid to try, not to give up and not to stop halfway. After all, what success is in creativity is when you fall over and over again, but even after falling for the tenth time, you still get up and move on. Believe in yourself and then all must succeed!

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ART invasions, butcher pigs, design buildings, manage ships, write sonnets, keep accounts, build walls, set bones, ease death, follow orders, give orders, cooperate, act independently, solve equations, analyse new problems, fertilise, program computers, cook deliciously, fight well, die with dignity.” I consider the ability to be both here and everywhere to be unique at the same time: in various projects, in various trainings, working as a business coach, developing the restaurant business in Kazakhstan, raising children, sewing and embroidering, decorating children’s holidays, taking an active social part in the life of our beloved city of Almaty and much more.

VLADISLAVA BAIMAGANBETOVA “I CAN DO IT” OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Vladislava Baimaganbetova: I am a married feminist, have a daughter, and waiting for a second child. At the moment, my main job is business coaching in the HoReCa industry. I love the restaurant business, the Kazakh history of hospitality and actively promote it. At the same time, I am studying social psychology at the St. Petersburg Humanitarian University of Trade Unions. I consider Robert Heinlein’s phrase as motto in life: “Any person should be able to change diapers, plan

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OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? VB: My creativity originates from a young age. In whatever city I was, I always actively participated in the design of wall newspapers, thematic events, attended plein airs with ShIITD them. A. Kasteeva. The annual trips around the country happened thanks to my military parents. My mum is a mother of four children who always wanted to keep us busy. For example, my middle sister Dana played the piano, and my brother Alnur choreographed and played the saxophone. Now, however, Dana is studying on a grant with a specialisation in automation and control, but this does not prevent her from expressing herself in such an art form as digital painting. Genetics play an important role, I guess. My grandfather Anatoly Zhigalov - Honoured Artist of Kazakhstan, awarded the medal “For Valiant Labor ‘’, artist, Laureate of the 1st degree competition for veteran teachers in Moscow.Together with his wife Galina Kononenko, he worked at the Palace of Creativity for Children and Youth (Russia) as a teacher and accompanist of additional education in a music and choir centre. Of course, life is not complete without teachers, and today I had the opportunity to boast of those who in every possible way develop and accompany my work to this day. Elena Vlasova is a dressmaker with tremendous experience. Acquaintance with her was not limited to my individual orders. Today Aunt Lena, as I call her, is my sewing teacher and I am very lucky to know her. We are neighbours and this facilitates our learning processes, given my busy schedule. Her most valuable advice and professionalism allowed me to prove myself in the

international design competition. Natalya Vanina is no less a professional dressmaker, and also my favourite mother-in-law. The only negative is the remoteness of her place of residence, but even this is not a problem for us. We call each other via video, discuss new items in the world of textiles, patterns, critical moments with customers, and so on. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? VB: I find achievements in my various endeavours. I started working on the design of the author’s methodological manual for the restaurant business; developing a monopoly game for waiters; began to embroider a panel dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan; sewed a lot of sweatshirts with various prints; the session is progressing well in parallel; my feminist content is gaining popularity on Instagram and even already has followers, and the opportunity to participate in OCA People. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? VB: I became acquainted with the Guild in 2014 as part of the Third International Literary Festival “Open Central Asia Book Forum & Literature Festival”. Then my young dream came true and I met my favourite writer Janusz Leon Wisniewski, and also received an autograph. Oh, how I was “treated” by his novels in adolescence.Years later, I myself joined the ranks of the Guild Members and took part in my first contest “The Heartbeat of Eurasia”.

ing of some sewing techniques. My sister also draws sketches for a future collection of shoppers and sweatshirts. There is even a queue for them. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? VB: The first is to believe in your abilities. Everyone has them, but not everyone, unfortunately, is able to identify and develop them. I wish each of us to look closely at others and try to be as open as possible.

OCA: What is your motivation and the main Our task is to promote the Republic of Kazakhstan on various international platforms, involve local candidates aim of your creativity? VB: First of all, I work for the sake of interest in the and develop competitiveness. case. After all, any creativity is therapy, a way to underWith love and gratitude to my husband Ruslan, family and stand yourself, to conduct an internal dialogue. teachers who support me in all endeavours. Moreover, it is pleasant to realise - “I can do it”, and if it is also significant for others, it resonates in the heart, Instagram:Vladiglazka then in general it has an optimistic effect on the structure of the world around. Photo: Elvira Kogay, Oxana Tarasova Make-up artist: MUAH - Mitskevich Yevgeniya Now I have planned the purchase of industrial equipment, the expansion of the workshop and the train-

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FILM OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? NB: As a child I was always drawing, making and performing. I loved to sing and make art. My mum was my biggest creative influence growing up and I was inspired by the work that she made in college. She has always taught me to love what i do and I love being creative in everything I do. Artists I love include UK artists Bob & Roberta Smith for his humour, Jeremy Deller for his humanism and Azerbaijani artist Faig Ahmed for his playfulness. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? NB: In 2021 I created a co-designed public light festival in Romford, the town where I work and grew up; called ‘Illusionarium’. It was the first of its kind and was on a much larger scale than anything Ihad created before. There were 15 artworks designed and built by local people and artists. They were displayed all over the town for a month alongside an arts education trail. The artworks included a greenwall artwork opposite the station entrance and a giant neon sheep in a shopping centre, which have both been kept up.

NATALIE BAYS MY PASSION IS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOCIETY WITH MY CREATIVITY OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Natalie Bays: I am a cultural project manager and i run an organisation called The NO Collective. I organise creative festivals, events and programmes to help people be more involved in the arts and to be more creative. I also co-host a weekly radio show on Phoenix 98 FM where i discuss art and culture with a range of artists, musicians and theatre makers from across the UK. As a visual artist I create artworks from a collection of archive photography which explore time, culture and my connection to people and place.

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OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? NB: I make work and cultural projects that link places and people that are hyper-local [very close to me] with art work and experiences that are worlds away. I feel that I have a responsibility to share the unique experiences that I have been lucky enough to have over my years and I translate this through my art work and programming. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? NB: I am involved with the ECG Eurasian Film Festival, helping it to be a success alongside the Romford Film festival in London every year. I have been to many art exhibitions and fashion shows as part of the guild too. I have been an advocate for the guild since I joined almost 5 years ago. I have been on the advisory board now for 2 years also which allows me to explore different art practises, and network with lots of different creatives from across the world. This helps me to ex-

pand my knowledge in what creativity can be and learn about cultures that I knew little about before. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? NB: My passion is to make a difference in society with my creativity. Whether that be through creating a project where people can get involved and get to be creative, or supporting other artists inspire with their work. I am motivated by the encouragement of the people around me, wanting to be part of a creative collective making change together. I am inspired by the results of democratic art practise and artwork that is make as a collaboration. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? NB: I would like other members of the guild to continue to love being creative. Even if you have times where your art practise is not working the way you would like it to, you should just be unapologetically creative in everything else you do until you get your spark back! I think it is also important to never stop educating yourself in different things. Culture, heritage, geography, everything and anything.

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LITERATURE And I started writing. I would like to think that I’ve experienced a lot in my life: 23 years ago, I left Ukraine and moved to London, where my son was born, where I built my accounting business and where I learned many tough life lessons. In the midst of everything, I worked in post-war Iraq, travelled, fell in love, met many interesting people and realised that people like to hear my stories, both the tragic and the comedic. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? IC: I am a writer by accident, in that I did not choose this path deliberately. My favourite writers – the ones who inspired me the most – would be Françoise Sagan and Victoria Tokareva. Every story of theirs resembles the experiences I had, emotions I felt, and conclusions I made. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? IC: My main achievement of the last year was of course winning first prize in the literary competition. It was something I neither expected, nor even dreamt about. In addition, I recorded a song and realised that I had been missing something in my life - music. I am currently taking singing lessons and it has enriched my life tremendously. I am mastering the art of Argentine tango, another new and unexpected passion of mine.

CHAYKA INNA NEW BEGINNINGS OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Inna Chayka: All my creativity was awakened when I turned 50, moved to Florence, sent my son off to university and was left by my partner for another woman. I guess these things gave me a sense of freedom and new beginnings. I started singing, theatre-acting, studying fashion design, teaching kundalini yoga and dancing the tango - things I never did, or even imagined doing.

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This year, I also got my sailing and free-diving licences. For someone who was scared of going underwater, I felt a huge sense of achievement. The last 12 months of my life have been a radical transformation for me, and I truly am a new person. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? IC: I am not very imaginative, so I can only write, sing, and dance what I feel. I write about love and what has happened in my life: stories that other women in particular can relate to. I changed my life completely at 50, and lots of my friends, and friends of friends, found it very inspiring. I hope that my example can help other women fulfil their dreams.

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? IC: I joined ECD in 2021 and have not had the opportunity to experience many events.The ECD literary festival in Uzbekistan was the beginning of a completely new and unknown path for me. The people I met, the ideas we shared, and the stories I heard, were a real inspiration to me. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? IC: I hid my creativity for such a long time, that when everything started coming out, I just could not stop. I did not have a specific goal in mind when I wrote my first story; rather, it helped me live through the pain of a broken heart. If my stories help other women, then I can say that my mission is complete. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? IC: My main advice is to be brave, open your heart to opportunities that present themselves, believe in yourself, and follow your dreams.

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LITERATURE fiction, and non-fiction often in the genre of popular philosophy e.g. the Transurfing Reality series by Vadim Zeland. After receiving an MA from Cambridge in Modern & Medieval Languages (Russian & German literature and language) I moved to live in the Altai Republic. I carried out interpreting work for Altai Nature Parks and the United Nations in the field of bio-cultural diversity conservation as well as for the sacred land film project Altai Republic, Standing on Sacred Ground. I translated written texts for Altai cultural figures, too, and remember very fondly my first book translation project, Altai Bilik: Spiritual Wisdom of the Altai Mountains. As for my own creativity, I am currently writing a book about my memories of living in Altai, the people, places, cultural and ancestral monuments that make this corner of the world so extraordinary and am using as illustrations my field diary watercolour sketches.

JOANNA DOBSON CULTURAL EXPLORATIONS BEYOND EUROPE OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Joanna Dobson: I am a writer and translator based on the North Norfolk coast, UK. I started working with translated texts many years ago as a proof reader for the Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology of Eurasia (Russian Academy of Sciences) while living in Akademgorodok, Siberia. This work gave me a window onto Scythian Art, which 20 years later is still a topic that nourishes my own creative work. Now I translate

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OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? JD: In my late twenties, I began to experience a deep sense of calling which led me to Altai. It was there that the contours of my creative work crystallized into their present form. My deepest inspiration comes from those artists, whose work goes unsigned – the craftsmen of the Iron Age, who left their traces in ritual monuments throughout the Eurasian steppe. Whenever I feel blocked I return to this heritage and am resuscitated. Among recent works, I have the greatest respect for lesser known poet Aiaru Tokhtonova, who has just published her first anthology Bistin Ulus (2022). I have huge admiration for other writers who capture the spiritual force of homeland by venturing into the darkness. E.g. Recent works by Hamid Ismailov Manaschi, and Nastassja Martin’s In the Eye of the Wild. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? JD: My participation as translator for the catalogue produced for the Gold of the Great Steppe exhibition held by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. This project inspired me to paint. In 2021 I produced a set of hand painted gift cards – interpretations of original Saka artefacts in watercolour and gold leaf, some with quotations by great poet ‘Abai’ woven into the design. These cards were included among the official merchandise of the Fitzwilliam Museum shop. For a long time I had been looking for a way of combining my illus-

trations with written narratives, exploring digital approaches. Each gift card has a QR code on the reverse which links to an audio file on my website (altaipilgrim. com) in which I share my thoughts about each image. Since then I have created an Etsy shop (altaipilgrim.etsy. com) to share my work more widely.

ing coach is most helpful thing I have ever done. And I wish the advice that my mother wished for me when I was a child: “before you begin any creative project, always ask yourself, ‘how can I approach this in a way that is true and unique, unlike anyone else.”

OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? JD: I have not met many others among my compatriots, who find their inspiration first and foremost in Altai, and in the ancient cultures of Eurasia and the cultures of the Turkic peoples. Perhaps my work seems unusual to many, not by virtue of any great talent, but simply because in the UK we seem to know relatively little about these rich cultures. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? JD: I am a new member to the Eurasian Creative Guild. So far I have attended just two events, both remotely: a Novruz celebration, as well as the 2021 film festival, which opened my eyes to the wealth of Kazakh cinematography. I look forward very much to discovering more about the creativity of other members of the guild. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? JD: My aim is simple: I feel compelled to share with others the most precious moments of my cultural explorations beyond Europe: the first time I heard blessings sung by a throat singer beside an evening fire; stumbling across a petroglyphic composition in a remote river valley that was as delicate and fine as a Persian miniature... In moments like these, the heart takes an ecstatic leap and time is suspended. I want to call out to others: ‘Look! Just look at the brilliance of these people from lands beyond our own!” OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? JD: To stubbornly trust your heart to navigate a creative life and develop the ‘long will’ required to turn inspiration into tangible results. Where possible, never compromise on quality. Find a mentor. Engaging a writ-

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LITERATURE high jump, multiple winner and prize-winner of the junior championships of the Soviet Union. In 1994 I graduated from the Moldovan Academy of Economics. I have been working in the financial sector for over 25 years. For my work I was awarded state awards of the Republic of Moldova: the Order of Glory to Labor and the Medal of Civil Merit. At the moment I am the author of eight poetry books for children in Russian, including: “Merry Alphabet!”, “What colour is a zebra?”, “I swim in the blue sky!”, “For pancakes!”,“Simple joy” and others, as well as four poetry colouring books. Also completed the illustration for three more books: a collection of children’s poems in Russian about the sea and marine life called “The surf is calling us!”, The Romanian version of my book “Merry Alphabet!”, and also its English version - “The Funny Alphabet! I hope that all three books will be published in the first half of this year. My works are regularly published by such Russian publications as the literary almanac “Hyperborea”, the Moscow magazines “Light of the Capital”, “New stainedglass windows”, etc. My poems for children can also be found in numerous international poetry collections.

GRIGORE GACIKEVICI “MY BOOKS HELP CHILDREN SEE THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN” OCA Magazine:Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Grigore Gacikevici: I am 49 years old, I write poetry for children in Russian, English and Romanian. I began my public literary activity a year ago, in March 2021. A few months after that became a member of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London). Born in Moldova. In my youth I was professionally involved in athletics, a master of sports of the USSR in

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Also, I am currently studying by correspondence at the Higher Literary Courses (specialty “Poetry”) at the Literary Institute. A.M. Gorky (Moscow). OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? GG: Since the birth of our daughter Polina, my wife Olga and I’ve tried to spoil her love for good fairy tales and poems. My daughter is already sixteen, but we still have a large library of wonderful and well-illustrated children’s books at home. Therefore, I began writing my first poems for children about ten years ago for my daughter. And in March last year, I discovered that there were enough such works in paper form to start publishing them on various social networks. That’s how I came to children’s poetry, which I do not regret at all and write with pleasure every day. I want to emphasize that among the many worthy and respected authors for children, for me since childhood, the unique Soviet poet Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky has

been and remains number one. And my main source of inspiration, as before, is the love for my wife and daughter. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? GG: My main achievement is the publication of eight of my books. I am also very happy with my victories last year at 12 international literary competitions. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? GG: My books can help children become kinder and more responsible, help them see the beauty of the world we live in. At the same time, I try to ensure that children, when reading my poems, always have the opportunity to choose: between god and evil, between bad and good, between honesty and lies. Nobody likes edification, so many of my poems have a question mark at the end. But at the same time, with the help of the storyline and poetic images, I try to make the child himself inclined towards those kind and bright values on which our world is based. I try to convey in my works the belief that the world around us is beautiful, and there is a lot in it that is worthy of our love. In addition, I try to have humour and a good mood in all my poems, because a smile, as you know, is the best cure for all illnesses and hardships.

GG: Motivation and my goal is the constant development of my versification. I really like to study online at the Moscow Literary Institute. We are taught by wonderful teachers in the theory of literature, stylistics of the language, etc. But the most useful classes for me are seminars on poetic mastery. I really hope that as a result of my studies, my poems will become more perfect. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? GG: Believe in yourself and understand that you need to engage in creativity regularly and constantly strive to improve your skill level.

OCA:Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? GG: Last year, I became one of the winners of the Open Eurasia-2021 Contest in the “The best children’s work” category. This year I submitted my application for participation in the “Voices of Friends’’ contest, in which I really want to win. Undoubtedly, membership in the ECG has made my creative life more intense and interesting. I am very glad that the Guild holds a large number of competitions, and I try to take part in them as often as possible. I also hope to publish my book “The Funny Alphabet!” with the help of the Guild. and hope for help in promoting this book in the UK. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity?

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LITERATURE the nuances of the human soul in his works and read Pikul’s novels. It was the works of Valentin Pikul that prompted me to write my novel. Of course, I am far from the great writers of Russia but they became the example for me and they are my teachers. OCA: What is your main achievement in 2021-2022? YG: In the summer of 2021, my novel was published by the Ridero publishing house. After the publication I remembered the Open Eurasia contest in which I decided to take part. I am very glad that my work was appreciated and I got second place in the Prose category and third place in the category “Best Female Author“. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? YG: The plot of the novel “The War United Us” was based on the story of my family. My great-grandmother became a victim of the revolution. Hiding from Soviet power, she had to leave her home, witnessing the death of her parents and brothers .I think this is what distinguishes my novel from other works.

YULIA GANETSKAYA CREATE IN THE NAME OF ART OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Yulia Ganetskaya: My name is Yulia Ganetskaya, I was born in Uzbekistan, and now living in Japan. My husband and I own a small cultured pearl farm. I have been writing since childhood. At first these were small stories for myself and my friends. There were publications in magazines and newspapers, school magazines. My first full novel was conceived four years ago. In my opinion, it took an unforgivably long time to write.The result exceeds all my expectations and the novel “The War United Us” received deserved recognition among readers. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? YG: I adore Dostoevsky with his ability to subtly emphasise

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OCA:Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? YG: Winning in the Open Eurasia contest convinced me that I was on the right track. It was a happiness for me to know that my work is appreciated and this inspires me for new works. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? YG: The motivation for me is the victory in the contest and warm feedback from readers. I’m full of ideas and inspiration and I really hope that in the next contest I will get first place. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? YG: I am very grateful to the members of the guild for the opportunity to express themselves and declare their creative to the whole world. I wish the members of the guild health, success in their work and inspiration. First of all, I advise aspiring authors and poets not to be afraid to express themselves. Do not give up after failure and create in the name of art.

XI LITERARY CONTEST APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Deadline is 1st of September 2022 LITERARY TRANSLATION PROSE SHORT PROSE POETRY PUBLICISM BOOK REVIEW NON-FICTION DRAMA SATIRE

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LITERATURE to the history of the Issyk area. We spent the best part of the day visiting various sites, including the site of an ancient equestrian palace, several large stone circles, and a huge circle based on the features of the landscape, such as are found in Rennes la Chateau in France or near Glastonbury in England. I still have plans to visit the stone henge in the Tien Shan steppe hills above Issyk that the old archaeologist described. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? BG: My path was chosen partly by fate and partly by choice. I ended up being introduced to Eurasia and Kazakhstan by my German brother-in-law, who’s wife is a sister to my own wife, Lidia. I fell in love with the people, culture, and history of the region. One of my favourite hobbies is ancient history. It is often said that Central Asia has little history, but the truth is quite the opposite if you look carefully. I bought a number of turn of the century history books on Central Asia from the collection of the representative to the Dalai Lama of the Budhist region of Buratia in Russia. These books are fascinating.

BRUCE GASTON KNOW THE CULTURE OF THE SOCIETY THAT YOU LIVING AND WORKING WITH OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Bruce Gaston: I am primarily a businessman and not as involved in the arts as I used to be. However, I still write articles for publication every year and enjoy going to art shows and cultural events. I particularly like finding local Eurasian and Central Asia historical stories of interest and culture that have never made it into the main published histories.

Artistically, my role mother has always been my mother, who is an artist. She has always been working on artistic pieces, whether sketches, oil paintings, multi-material pieces, sculptures (mostly metal), installations, and more recently stained glass. After she kept asking me to set up a show, the gallery Tengri Umi in Almaty took an interest and combined a show of my mother’s work and the annual master class festival. I believe this was the first show of a British artist in Kazakhstan sponsored by the British Arts Council. I have spent over 20 years now in Eurasia, particularly Kazakhstan, and very much enjoy cultural events. My favourite time of year is Nauryz, when everyone emerges from Winter to enjoy spring. Historically, I was an active sportsman and since spending time in Central Asia I have started following some of the local cultural sports and Nomad games.

I have most recently been involved in a number of eagle hunting events and it has become a hobby. Though eagle hunting is a sport, it is also very much a Kazakh I remember meeting an old archaeologist who ran a cultural activity. It is great to get out into the steppe, two big yurt and one small yurt museum near Issyk. hiking for kilometres, while working with eagles. He said he had been sponsored by an Italian Prince to pursue local archaeology and set up his yurt museum

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OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? BG: I find that the Eurasian Creative Guild has inspired me to develop my artistic interests in a way that might otherwise not have happened. It is very easy for me to get buried in my work and I need all the help I can get to pursue more artistic and cultural interests. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? BG: I have never worked just for money. I think I get this from my parents. For me, it is extremely important to get to know the culture and arts of the society that I am living and working with. I have always been creative, whether that is through my work or as a member of society.

OCA: What is your main achievement in 2021-2022? BG: Artistically, my main achievement so far in 2021/22 is to write an article, published by OCA magazine, on Japanese chocolate and the start of St. Valentines day, based on the history of the Morozoff family. I am working on another article and I am beginning to put work into publishing a book.

OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? BG: Luck, good fortune, and an enthusiasm for life!

OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? BG: I guess my work is unique partly because my experience in life is unique. I have had the pleasure of living in the UK as a child and banker in London, Canada as a teenager, Japan and Hong Kong as a banker, and Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan as a corporate finance and business development advisor. I wasn’t just ‘working’ while working in these various locations, but also enjoying each culture and the many connections between them. The article that I wrote regarding Japanese culture was inspired by a meeting between my wife and the original inspiration for St Valentines day and chocolates in Japan,Valentine Morozoff. This meeting resulted in my researching the Morozoff family history and their contribution to what is now a key aspect of Japanese culture.

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FILM From childhood, I was fond of theatre, dancing, I wanted to perform on stage, and also made short videos for the school film club. At the same time, I had a blog on YouTube (later abandoned it, but you can still find it if you try). By the eleventh grade, every teacher at school knew who to turn to if they needed to make a video. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? VG: The love for filmmaking appeared at school, when I started making videos for myself and others. How to set up the camera and light correctly, how to work with the actors, how to create a script, the magic of colour - it all absorbed me. Fortunately, I had like-minded people and good teachers who supported me regardless of circumstances and difficulties. The main example for me is my mother. I have never seen so much hard work, dedication, desire to live and self-develop. We support each other and achieve success everyday together.

VITALINA GOLOVACH EXPERIENCE THE FULL RANGE OF EMOTIONS, FEEL ALIVE! OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Vitalina Golovach: My name is Vitalina, I was born in the small town of Osipovichi in Belarus. In such cities everybody knows everybody. Without saying a word people meet in the evenings in the park in “their place”. As an opportunity for development there are only some local creative clubs and a music school. Enough to become a smart and educated person, but boring and cramped for today’s youth.

OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? VG: 2021 and 2022 have become the most difficult and disturbing years for the whole world and for me. In addition to global catastrophes and conflicts, serious internal changes have also taken place. My main achievement is the preservation of healthy relationships with loved ones, a stable emotional state and the health of people dear to me. Also, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my closest friend, Anastasia Boruhova, who has gone and continues to go through all the most difficult moments with me. There are people you meet in life and wonder how out of 8 billion people you became the lucky one who managed to find his soul mate. It’s all about her. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? VG: Sincerity and openness. In 2021, I made my first short film that doesn’t have serious cinematographic elements. But it has a soul and my personal experiences. Through my personal background, I try to show that each person is not alone with their difficulties and most often there is someone else who has gone through the same. It may be dangerous to show the whole soul, but that is what makes my art mine.

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OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? VG: I am the project-manager of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London). Working on OCA Magazine and ECG Film Festival (London). For more than a year, I have been working with the whole team on the development and promotion of creative projects. And my life has changed completely. A new social circle, journeys to previously unknown countries, acquaintance with directors, writers and creators from all over the world. It can hardly be called a job, rather a way of life. Getting into such an atmosphere, you realise how vast and unknown the world is. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? VG: My motivation is myself. Waking up every day, I want to be sure that I have become better than yesterday. Many situations from my experience have shown that life is very short and unpredictable. No one knows what might happen in a minute. My goal is to live this life, to feel it. Not just survive by fulfilling your basic needs. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? VG: You are just enough for yourself. People come into your life, mark it, leave, appear and disappear. But only with yourself you will go from beginning to end. You have several decades to realise your dream! Just think about this number.You have enough time. Love people, love yourself, forgive, create, take risks, try, experience the full range of emotions. Cry, scream, laugh - feel alive! Instagram: vita.golovach

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ART OCA: What is “Eurasianism” for you? LH: I would define ‘Eurasianism’ as a term which unifies a vast and divergent collective of peoples, their heritage and culture, both past and present. As a westerner, from whom that world has long been hidden, it is a new and exciting concept imbued with intrigue and romance. OCA: Who are your favorite artists? LH: I found the deeply- rooted and significant role of cultural heritage in Central Asian life, hauntingly and beautifully encapsulated in ‘Farewell Gul’sary’ by Chinghiz Aitmatov and ‘Howl’ by Kazat Akmatov; and have enormous admiration for acclaimed Uzbek author Hamid Ismailov, to whose books I return again and again. However, straddling the two spheres of visual and literary creativity, it is impossible for me to name the many, many other artists and writers whose work has left an indelible mark. There are also, too many authors to mention, whose work I have edited and who deserve global recognition.

LAURA HAMILTON DON’T BE IN A HURRY TO SUCCEED OCA Magazine: Tell us about yourself and your creative activity Laura Hamilton: As director of the prestigious Collins Gallery at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, from 1988 until its closure in 2013, I originated exhibitions and events related to contemporary Fine and Applied Art by artists from throughout the world. Now freelance and employing skills gained in the writing and publication of numerous catalogues and monographs, my focus has turned to editing English translations of Central Asian literature, in tandem with memoirs by UK authors.

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OCA: Have you taken part in the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London)? LH: Following Marat Akhmedjanov’s generous review of my exhibition ‘From Quilts to Couture in Kyrgyzstan’ in 2011, for the OCA magazine, I began editing for Hertfordshire Press, and in due course, joined the Eurasian Creative Guild. I have attended Open Eurasian Literary Festivals in London, Almaty and Stockholm, as well as events in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bishkek. I participated in judging the annual Open Asia Competition and after serving as Chair of ECG from 2017-19, now sit on the Guardian Council. The Guild is a unique and ever-evolving organization that provides a warm welcome, support and stimulating opportunities to creative people working in all genres and at different stages of their careers. It is a uniting force, an extended family of sorts, which nurtures the development of close collaboration and firm friendships. OCA: Do you have any personal project that you would like to talk about? LH: I have edited some fifty works in translation, the most recent of which is ‘Er Toshtuk’; one of an ongoing series of classical Kyrgyz epics. Much as I enjoy these historically rich and wonderful legends, I look forward to revisiting contemporary literature. It appears that

Guild members have many new exciting projects in store, which will hopefully, be translated into English! OCA: What would you advise for people who’re just starting their journey of creativity? LH: Based on experience, my advice to anyone embarking on a creative career is twofold: Don’t be in a hurry to succeed; take time out to think, and invest time to revise and if necessary, rework what you’ve done until you’re truly satisfied. Astonishingly, there are artists who don’t visit galleries, writers who don’t read, and translators who don’t access texts written by native speakers! There’s an unlimited wealth of information waiting to be discovered, guide and inspire you; so, use it to your advantage… I wish you all the best of luck!

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LITERATURE century to write in long complex sentences, including the Onegin stanza, I began to describe in my works. I was able to start publishing only in 2008 on the STIHI. RU website. Then I took a break and in 2018 the poem “From Our Biography” was published in the Union of Writers magazine. Since then, having joined the ISP and ECG(London), I have been published in many magazines and published three books of poetry. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? NI: Our people in their lives are accustomed to focusing on the “life” of Ivan the Fool, who moved on a self-propelled stove, ate from the tablecloth of self-assembly and worked “at the command of a pike, in my opinion”. And Lenin corrected this oversight by promising us golden toilet bowls. The people got off the stove, followed him, and despite the fact that Lenin said: “Let 90% of Russians die, if only 10% live to see the world revolution,” together with Lenin, having ruined his own country, won power for him. Few of us died in the Civil War, but Lenin tried to correct this oversight and in 1922 starved to death 5-7 million people, trying to make us meek and loving him like a god.

NIKOLAI IVLEEV IN ORDER TO LIVE WELL, YOU NEED TO WORK HARD

Stalin followed the same path: in 1933, during collectivization, he also starved to death 6 million people and destroyed the peasantry, dooming the country to a starvation existence. In 1937, Stalin destroyed the leadership of the army, and in 1941 put the army under the blow of the German army, which cost the USSR 27 million human lives. We also included Stalin in the pantheon of great leaders.

When Gorbachev became General Secretary, he knew that agriculture had not been working in our country since 1917 and that it needed to be reformed, which OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself he did. But the leadership of the party, not wanting to and your creative activity / work. change anything, ruined the country. Gorbachev was Nikolaj Ivleev: I was ashamed of our miserable ex- blamed for the collapse of the Union and we still curse, istence in the USSR, the richest country in the world, despite the fact that Russia began to feed not only itunable to feed itself, which had 2/3 of the planet’s black self, but also sell agricultural products abroad. soil and two streams of fish of several million tons, spawning in our seas and rivers. I am struck by the OCA: What is your main achievement in 2021stupidity and cruelty of the Communist Party, which 2022? Gorky called a “company of adventurers”, unable to NI: The main achievement in 2021 - 2022 was the establish a normal life in the country. About how we, youth of the main character written in detail in Onfor this party, destroying our fellow citizens, won pow- egin stanzas for the poem “Youth of Sergei” and the er and built socialism, having learned how in the 19th review requested for it. After receiving a negative re-

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sponse, I compared this passage with the beginning of “Eugene Onegin”, where I showed that, in comparison with Pushkin, I did not turn out so badly. In Russia they are accustomed to bad poetry and cannot distinguish between the classics and “Polozkovism” and encourage the kind of poetry for which more positive reviews have been received from cooperating mediocrities. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? NI: When comparing my poem “Youth of Sergei” with the beginning of the novel “Eugene Onegin”, I calculated that the average number of verbal rhymes in a stanza in Pushkin is 2.5, I have 3, the average number of stanzas in a work written in one sentence is 1.5 times more than Pushkin. None of the Russian-speaking poets after Pushkin wrote like that. I specially wrote the poem “From Our Biography” with the same stanza as Pushkin’s “My Genealogy”, so that I could alternate my and Pushkin’s stanzas for comparison. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? NI: Due to my age and poor health, I cannot travel and participate in Guild events, but I take part in contests, (so far unsuccessfully), published in the Voices of Friends magazine, trying to show that I can write a Onegin stanza in one sentence, besides being a sonnet. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? NI: To follow the wrong path is the road to the abyss, and I would like the truth to triumph on the planet. I have a glimmer of hope that someday our people will understand that in order to live well, you need to work hard and work well, and, anticipating the happy future of our people, I would like to begin the rehabilitation of people who called us not into the abyss of ruin and poverty, but to the future. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? NI: I would wish the members of the Guild and other creative people to be honest people, improve their skills and not stray into packs for the collective defence of imaginary achievements.

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LITERATURE In 2009, I became a member of the National Union of Writers of the Kyrgyz Republic. I have two degrees, the first is economics and the second is additional pedagogical education, an English teacher. I am an English teacher in one of the gymnasiums in Bishkek. I also worked for some time as a TV journalist on the ELTR channel. At present I translate poetry and prose of Kyrgyz authors into Russian and English. This requires some effort and perseverance, so there is practically no time left to write my poems. Fortunately, I am a member of the USAID “Okuu Keremet” project, where, as an author, I create books for children of primary school age. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? NK: I was born in a family where books were of great importance, there was an extensive library in the house. I must say that my father is a linguist, polyglot and book lover. All relatives and friends called him a “walking encyclopaedia” and my older sisters Leyla Karasartova and Lilia Karasartova, now poetesses, constantly walked around the house and recited poems. I think this “home atmosphere” influenced me.

NARGISA KARASARTOVA ALL OF YOUR VICTORIES ARE AHEAD OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work. Nargisa Karasartova: My full name is Karasartova Nargisa Omurbekovna. I was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on August 29, in 1978. My literary debut took place in 2007, when my poems were published in the newspaper “At the end of the week”, in the same year I was lucky to get to the masterclass on the poetry of the International Foundation of Ch. Aitmatov, which was called “Debut-2007”.

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I consider Chingiz Aitmatov my example in literature and life. In 2008, shortly before his death, I interviewed him on the ELTR channel and saw with my own eyes how great this person is. An incredible aura of intelligence, enlightenment, culture, and goodwill emanated from him. I can also name Sergei Filatov, the president of the Foundation for socio-economic and intellectual programs and my teacher.Thanks to his Foundation, I twice visited the CIS Writers’ Forum and the International Book Fair in Moscow. He is the spiritual guide of many modern writers. And in my pedagogical activity, I think that Anatoly Prokushkin, deputy director of the school-gymnasium N 33 is my teacher because he shows by his example how teachers should work. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? NK: I consider the biggest achievement in 2021 is the contest ‘Open Eurasia-2020’. I became one of the ‘Golden Ten’ in the nomination ‘Children’s Literature’,

took 2nd place in the category ‘Literary Criticism’ and 1st place in the category ‘Publicistics’. I also became a laureate of international competitions of the Writers’ Union of North America, became an academician of MARL (International Academy for the Development of Literature and Art) and was awarded the medal of the International Mentor Foundation. Democratic Party of Women of Kyrgyzstan “Person of the Year 2021”, and also became the owner of the diploma “Poet and Writer of the Year 2021”. I am glad that I was the first translator of Timur Akhmedjanov’s comic book “Elish and the Wicker Tale”, published in the UK and Russia. I am also looking forward to the publication of the book “Leah and Aya the Sewing Doll” in English by “Hertfordshire Press” in London. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? NK: I do not write “under the stick” or duress, I do not run for “fashion trends” in literature, I do not try to write a “super-novel” just to get a fee. I write only what interests me and excites me and want to tell “my story”, write “my vision” of this or that event, and describe my feelings.

my worldview. I want to be heard and understood. A powerful motivator is also my family, my children, they give me joy and inspiration. And how not to mention my Kyrgyzstan, my homeland, which can be tough and affectionate at the same time, here you must be strong and adamant. As for the goal in literary creativity, it is to write new interesting stories and fairy tales, new poems and acquire a large readership around the world. OCA:What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? NK: First of all, believe in yourself! As the song says: “Need to learn how to wait, need to be calm and stubborn...”. I submitted my works to the international contest “Open Eurasia” probably six or seven times, and only on the seventh or eighth attempts, I was expected to win. For the new members of the ECG, I want to say - all of your victories are ahead.

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? NK: In 2019, I was shortlisted for the Open Eurasia-2019 contest in the “Small Prose” category and became a participant in the Literary Festival, which was held in Brussels. The event was intense and fruitful. It was very pleasant that the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Kingdom of Belgium Mukhtar Dzhumaliev arranged a Gala-dinner for writers who arrived at this ECG Festival from around the world. Thus, he showed Kyrgyz hospitality and it should be noted that it was interesting for authors of different nationalities to visit the house where Chingiz Aitmatov lived and worked while on a diplomatic mission. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? NK: My motivation is my inner feelings and emotions,

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LITERATURE All my development as a person took place under the direct influence of two great world cultures of the East and West. Our planet Earth is one for all and for God we all are only temporary guests here. OCA: Tell us about yourself and your creative activity GK: I am 72 years old, after graduating from graduate school I went to live in the Leningrad region and work in the house of culture. At first, I worked at a poultry farm then at a fur farm, and then at a state farm. And everywhere it was interesting, I got an amazing experience, which later came in very handy for me in writing. During the perestroika, I was into the farming business. Then at the fur farm I worked as the director of the House of Culture, I was elected director of the farm. I also was engaged in politics, I started to write at the end of the last century. My 6 books of poetry were published, and I wrote several prose books in various genres - from novel to science fiction. In 2000, I organised a non-profit partnership “Union of Writers of the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg.” In 2006, I headed the literary association in St. Petersburg founded by Tatyana Gnedich. In our association, we publish the magazine “Tsarskoye Selo” and the literary supplement “Northern Herald”. I must say that my wife Antonina Karimova, a poetess, writer and essayist, helps me a lot.

GUMER KARIMOV HAPPINESS IS A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY OCA Magazine: What is “Eurasianism” for you? Gumer Karimov: This is everything for me: the philosophy of life, its meaning, my whole worldview. I am from Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan. My nationality is Tatar. Fifty years ago, at twenty-two years I left my homeland to continue my education at the Faculty of Philosophy at Leningrad University. I thought at the end of my studies I would return back home, but somehow I stayed for half a century in St. Petersburg, the country’s most European city, the “Cultural Capital”.

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OCA: What are your favorite artists? GK: Ernest Hemingway, Ilya Shemler, Valery Popova, Vyacheslav Leikin. OCA: Have you taken part in the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London)? What projects have you participated in and what are you planning to take part in? GK: My wife and I took part in the Brussels Festival and then at the end of the year we became members of the community. By the way, thanks to the guild, we made many friends. Even living in the Soviet Union, I never had so many friends among Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and representatives of other nations … At the request of the vice president of the Guild, Marat Akhmetzhanov, we are creating the St. Petersburg group ECG. We are trying to attract as many new members as possible.

Speaking about participation, I will try to take part in all creative categories, I hope that our experience and creative opportunities will help the guild especially working in the Expert Council. We have a lot of ideas, for example, a wonderful thing - internships that the guild conducts. The creation of a youth section is a great idea. I communicate with some of the young members of the guild, read their works. OCA: What does the Eurasian Creative Guild mean to you, and how has it influenced your creativity? GK: When I was introduced to the Guild, I had a feeling that I have known everyone here for many years! Later, when Marat Akhmedjanov and Angelina Krasnogir visited us in St. Petersburg I realised: this is my place to be! Every day I talk with my friends from the Guild, text and call them. Since I joined the guild the lifestyle has changed, new horizons opened up in front of me.

Even the rhythm of life has changed. Who would have thought in my 72 years! I am very happy! But happiness is hard work and great responsibility. OCA: What would you advise the members of the Guild who just started their career? GK: I am convinced that if a person ceases to be surprised, then someone loses interest in him/her. I worked in culture for many years, therefore, I have been dealing with youth all my life. Who knows, maybe that’s why I don’t feel my age. I only rejoice for young writers and really want them to have a happy literary fate! I wish them good books, new ideas, fresh thoughts. And, of course, good luck. Nothing will work without her. Good luck, dear friends!

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LITERATURE OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? AK: Аs for my path, the greatest event in my life which influenced me and defined my future was my returning to God in 1987. I have never had any role model either in the creative space or in life. There are some people whose altitude is unattainable. To some extent one of the persons who are closest to my soul is Vladimir Zhabotinski. As far as poetry is concerned my favorite authors are Pasternak and Mandelstam, in prose Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Michail Bulgakov but I do not know whether I can call any of them my mentor or my role model. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? AK: I suppose my main achievements in 2021 were finishing and publishing my long stories “I Have Posted Watchmen Upon Thy Walls” and “WAR WILL TELL THE FURTHER PLAN”. And of course joining the Eurasian Creative Guild. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? AK: A combination of Russian cultural background with Jewish and Israeli themes.

ALEXANDER KAZARNOVSKY ALWAYS REMAIN YOURSELVES! OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Alexander Kazarnovsky: I was born in Moscow in 1951. Graduated from the Moscow Teachers’ College in 1973. In 1993 immigrated to Israel. Since my childhood I have been writing verses. Living in Russia I translated British, American, and German poetry. I translated poems by James Joyce, Henry Longfellow, Robert Frost, Thomas Blackburn and Modern British poets. I also translated the verses by German Romantic poets. Having arrived in Israel I started writing essay, and later long and short stories and novels. That is what I keep on doing now.

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OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? AK: X Open Eurasian Literary Festival and Book Forum. It was great. I felt as if the whole world had been opened for me! OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? AK: The dream for Geula - Redemption of the world and a hope for my contribution to its sooner coming. OCA:What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? AK: Always remain yourselves! Each human being is a world. Open it to other worlds.

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LITERATURE AK: I have always been in love with reading. If the food we eat determines what we are in material terms, what we read establishes our mental and spiritual foundations. My beautiful mother was teaching Russian literature for 40 years. She loved bringing her colleagues to our house and I was introduced early to complex concepts and debates around them. I think she was the first who invested in me the appreciation of a deep dialogue. Further, while working at the British Council in Uzbekistan I met a prominent person that I consider a great teacher Mr Anthony Read. He loved reading and introduced me to a fantastic world of English non-fiction. He used to say ‘choosing between talking with a dull person and reading a good book, I always choose a good book’.

ALISSA KLIMA

OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? AK: The last few years were stuffed with challenges that the world has been facing. Dramatic disaster caused by COVID 19 affected almost every family in each country directly or subtly. My mother died in July 2021 in the intensive therapy ward in the hospital which I successfully left a week before both were diagnosed with pneumonia. It was a great loss in our family. That was the point when I realised that people must live their lives despite any mischief. I introduced yoga in my daily living and finished the book ‘Children of the Red Horde: The Late Sketch’ that I was working on for many years.

OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATORS AK: Every piece of art is unique. When my third boy makes Minecraft objects out of paper boxes that are OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself lately flooding our flats as a result of growing delivand your creative activity / work ery business pushed by COVID-19 and numerous lock Alissa Klima: I believe that all people are Creators. downs I always praise him for creating something fabWe try to be creative in the way we communicate and ulous. That’s how our mind is set up. I think that my work, build relationships and families, raise children or writing has finally been established by a combination perform social duties. I was born in a Soviet society of the rational part and my artful part. All of my works with different limitations. From childhood I found it im- are always based on real history and real events but mensely interesting to build up reality that was lacking the story is a fiction. my language is quite recognisable. around. We played role-games with my friends where It seems logic dressed in a great deal of emotions. we imagined adventures and places that were not accessible to us in reality. I think back then I first felt that OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the the arts are a place for people like me. Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life?

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that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work?

AK: I have been taking part in a few meetings that took place in Moscow where I lived and worked after moving from my home country of Uzbekistan. But in recent years we all were isolated and I tried to minimise offline contacts until the situation with the pandemic is settled. Hopefully in 2022 I can reestablish participation in such meetings. It is an amazing chance for interested people to come together!

better than today. It doesn’t mean that we should lie or write about goodies. It means that in all things we are discussing we should invest love in what we talk about: be it concepts, nature or people. Without love anything is void.

OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? OCA: What is your motivation and the main AK: With respect to what has been said before, I wish aim of your creativity? that people involved in creative writing or any other AK:Many great writers believed that creation is most form of arts keep coming to the thought of how I can prosperous at turbulent times. In this case it seems make this world a better place. Does my story evolve a that we are heading to the peak of creativity bearing in question in another person of how to create as oppose mind that the world and our countries in particular are to destroy? We are facing yet another turn of quite heading towards yet another historical twist it seems. dramatic time in the history of human beings. It would It is unthinkable for me to write for the sake of writing. be great to stay on the grounds, that we definitely keep Any writer has a passionate desire to express his or the status of humanity in what we say or do.We should her experience, view or idea.That’s the main driver for always remember that without love anything becomes creativity. This is called the idea in our terms. But if an redundant. author doesn’t bear a Super Idea a story is lacking the core. Our experience or thoughts alone cannot motivate either ourselves or readers. What truly motivates people is both a belief and hope that tomorrow will be

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LITERATURE OCA: What is your main achievement in 2021-2022? PK: My book “The Desert Olympus” came out in 2021. It tells about the scientists of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR who evacuated to Kazakhstan during Great Patriotic War. They were at health resort “Borovoye” from 1941 to 1944. I had been working on this book for fifteen years and I have every reason to be satisfied with the result. The book “The Art of Burabay” was published in 2022. This book is about the artists who lived in our region and created their works beginning with the 1920s. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? PK: I have travelled a lot, and been to different places and talked to all kinds of people in my day. Therefore, my considerable life experience linked with higher-level academic qualification have developed in me a special analytical approach to problem solving and an ability to succeed.

PAVEL KOSSOVICH ANXIETY FOR KNOWLEDGE OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work. Pavel Kossovich: Over the years, I used to work as a scientist. I am a biologist-geneticist. Nowadays I am engaged in research work at the nexus of history, geography and cultural studies of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? PK: When I came to Kazakhstan twenty-five years ago, I was eager to discover the language, traditions and the history of the country. Within fifteen years, I covered nearly 1 million kilometers by car and collected a vast amount of material on various scientific fields. Soon afterwards, this was reflected in my popular science editions. Primarily, the scientists who gave their talent, their life to advance in knowledge have been serving as role models for me.

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ОOCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? PK: Last year I was present at the Festival “Voices of Friends” in Burabay. I also regularly take part in the meetings with the members of the Guild in creative residence in Burabay. It is thanks to working with the Guild I have got acquainted with many creative personalities (artists, poets, writers) with whom I talk time and again. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? PK: My motivation is anxiety for knowledge and my aim is to share the knowledge obtained with other people book ways, in journals and films. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? PK:I wish the members of the Guild and beginning creative people not to lock within the bounds of their professional interests, but expand them looking into other genres of Art. After all – the most interesting and extraordinary things occur at the nexus of various fields, whether it be science, technology or art.

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LITERATURE this for a living. Speaking about my creative nature and another achievements I cooperate with the publishing house “Azbukvarik” in Belarus and write lyrics for songs, creating books, toys and also have the title of “The Silver Pen of Russia”, which I received taking part in the competition “ The Golden Pen of Russia” in the children’s nomination, in 2017. After having this great experience I kept improving myself and took second place in the Open Eurasia 2019 contest and the next one was the Win in the Open Eurasia 2021 contest. I am a member of the TO DAR union and the Eurasian Creative Guild. Now I published three books: two in Moscow “Where do dreams come from”, “The world is so unique” and one in London “Journey on four feet”. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? MK: Since my childhood, I have been keen on classic literature. I could read books all day long. At school, I had a very strict literature teacher. But I liked her because she always did the right thing. She cultivated a love for literature in me. Then I wrote my first story. It was a creative task for the class where everyone had to write a fairy tale. I handled it perfectly and that was the beginning of my ascent.

MIKHAIL KUNITSKY EVERY PERSON IS IMPORTANT AND NEEDED OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Mikhail Kunitsky: I am a children’s writer, living and creating in Belarus. I am the finalist of the competition “Poet of the Year 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020” in the nomination “Children’s Literature” in Moscow. I am the Winner of the contest “Poet of the Year 2019”, The Winner in 2017 of the international youth literary competition named after the Schnittke brothers. These were my first steps to success in literature. I also work as a programmer and my friends and I have our own business. I have a technical education and do

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In spite of the great success in this matter, I had to abandon it for a long time. And I returned to creativity only at the University. From time to time I wrote poems on various topics. Having acquired some experience in versification, I discovered the world of children’s literature. I realized that children’s literature is the world of a small caterpillar, which should soon turn into a beautiful butterfly. This microscopic world has its own laws, where one has to be open and sincere. Children’s literature is inseparable from adult literature. Now I can combine creativity and work. Also my father is an example for me. He has the ability to always achieve his goal. You know, he went in for sports in his youth and always professed the principle, no matter how hard it was - always go forward and no matter how fast you go, the main thing is not to retreat. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022?

MK: For now I published two books, “The World is So Unique” and “Traveling on Four Feet”. One in Moscow, having won the Poet of the Year competition, the other in the publishing house of the Eurasian Creative Guild. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? MK: Ability to experiment. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? MK: I have participated in many activities. In 2018, I took part in the Open Eurasia contest, which was held in Brussels. Over there I took second place and got a grant to publish my book. In 2021, I participated in the “Voices of Friends” contest, which is held annually in Kazakhstan in the resort of Borovoye. In the same year, I tried my luck at the tenth anniversary contest “Open Eurasia”, which was held in Uzbekistan. In general, I like to be involved in such projects. Firstly, it is an opportunity to meet amazing creative people and exchange experiences. Secondly, this is a good way to express yourself to the whole world. It makes me more open-minded and bolder. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? MK: My motivation is that the world around me is full of possibilities and surprises. Having won one competition and published a book, I understood that you could rise even higher and become even more experienced, besides, children’s literature is a mystery. Every time I discover something new. I enjoy the process. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? MK: Never stop. Every person is important and needed. Why did we come to this world? If we live, it means that we still can do something for the Universe. It is very important to do everything with love in your heart, and the universe will surely say “thank you!”.

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FILM this creation that the WORLD would see. I made my small contribution to the implementation of the plan and supported the project. The feedback was great! Initially, the panic of writing something out loud developed into a request to Armani’s friend: “Hide me from them, please!” But it was only initially)) Therefore, special thanks to Akhmedjanov Marat Ismailovich for his personal compassion and patience! His support is like delicious food with “Why not” sauce. This is how my path of step-by-step exit from the shadows into the light was gradually illuminated... ECG (London) is unique in its importance and scale. They were an example, a reliable support, a compass and a link of evidence that creative people should dream not only to themselves, but also out loud! It is important and necessary to share the goodness and beauty of the inner world. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? DK: Inspiration. This is the main achievement that has borne fruit and inspires to this day: step by step, hastily and slowly, sometimes boldly, sometimes furtively, original, light, but internally - with a confident step!

DINARA KUSHBAEVA EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO “COME ON BOARD” OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Dinara Kushbaeva: Like many others, I had an ordinary, but full of bright colours life with its ups and downs. In the routine of affairs, I did not betray much importance to the inner creative spirit. I thought to myself and wrote for myself: meaningfully, quietly, laconicly. Up to a certain point.. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? DK: Quite by accident I read about the dream of a special boy to create a comic book “Elish” and could not pass by: all that remained was to breathe life into

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OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? DK: In recent years, at a time of territorial difficulties and events in the world, it was not so easy for me personally to cover the entire cycle of ongoing events of the ECG (London). Despite all the global events, the opportunity was sought to hold a series of meetings among friends, like-minded people, participants, members of the Guild, in different cities and countries. The plans include Kazakhstan, Great Britain and so on in the list. ECG (London) opens up horizons and sometimes influences the fate of people, their versatility, forcing them to leave the zone of imaginary comfort. How powerful it is when a team works together as a whole, builds and connects bridges, interacts as one organism. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity?

DK: For me, motivation is to see the horizon in everything, wherever you go.The path to the horizon is amazing, and this is motivation in action. My main aim is to see the end, not to see obstacles, to walk and not stumble! Then more than one goal is visible.

DK: On my own behalf, I wish you good luck and suggest not to stand aside, looking at how ECG (London) launches new international projects, but to use the opportunities provided. No need to shuffle your soles on your way just by rearranging your legs.

OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career?

P.S. Everyone has a chance to “come on board” so as not to wave a wet handkerchief after the departing ship. Catch your tailwind immediately or you might not get a chance later.))

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LITERATURE I am an author of the Russian-English poems “Fate has a tough hand” and “Sieze the day” (2020). I received recognition and became a member of the Russian Union of Writers. I am nominated as the Poet of the Year Award (2021). Besides, I was awarded by a Yesenin’s medal, Bunin’s medal, Dostoevsky’s medal and Medal of St. George. It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be a part of the world of letters. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? NL: I don’t choose my path, but it chooses me. It is like a fortune. I can’t change it and it happens naturally. Sometimes I feel that poems are given me from on high and I just write down it. My role in the creative space is to speak about love, friendship and the beauty of world to brighten up the life. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? NL: The main achievement is the publication of my work in “The big book of prize winners” of the writing competition of the Union of Writers of Russia in 2021.

NATALIA LOSKUTOVA BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN SPECIALNESS OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Natalia Loskutova: I started to write poems 4 years ago. It was a real necessity for expression my feelings on paper. My literary works found a broad response among readers. My compositions are published in the Russian Collections of the modern literature in 20202022. My first book named “Christening” was written in Jordan in 2003.

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OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? NL: My poems are filled with real feelings, experiences and reflections on life. I create my works through the prism of a psychologist and an ordinary person. Everyone will find something of value in my pieces of writing. I believe that it deserves reader’s attention. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? NL: First of all, I’d like to say that the projects of the Eurasian Creative Guild are brilliant and unique as it combines all people and nations around the world. Its atmosphere is very kind and friendly. It goes without saying that ECG influenced my success as a writer. The Guild gave birth to a great number of new projects and ideas. I’d like to take an advantage of the opportunity

and express profound gratitude to Marat Akhmedjanov, Vice-Chairman of the Eurasian Creative Guild for his support in all projects of the ECG. I have been a member of the Eurasian Creative Guild since 2019. My creativity works were published in the 2021 Almanac “Voices of Friends” (British Library) and in the Eurasian literary collection “Нить 3” in 2019. I am an active participant of all new events of the Guild. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? NL: I’d like to present my literary works widely around the world. I use social networking on the web (especially - youtube.com) to share my creativity with readers. I download video in which I read my poems with the classical music or picturesque views. I enjoy this

process. However, the main aim of my creativity is to become a professional writer. OCA:What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? NL: I wish for the members of the Guild to be honest and sincere with readers and they feel it for sure. The main thing is to develop yourself, to make progress, to realise new interesting projects and last but not least – to believe in their own specialness. Fortune favours brave and hard-working people.

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LITERATURE that, in order to formulate even a simple thought in poetic form, you need to search not only for rhyme, but also for the maximum conciseness of this thought, and at the same time, amazing discoveries are obtained. OCA: What is your main achievement in 2021-2022? TM: I wrote two fairy tales: “The Tale of the Sevenfold Widower Vasya Sinebrodov” - a variation on the theme of the fairy tale about Bluebeard, “The Tale of the Transmigration of Souls or Reincarnation in Slavonic”, a cycle of poems about animals for the youngest children. I have lyrical, civil poems. I paint oil paintings and illustrations for my texts. There comes a time when, quite consciously, you seek to define the bar of your abilities. And in this case, the Eurasian Creativity Guild is not only a community of like-minded people, but also a measure that sets the bar for your creativity here and now, the upper limit, which, fortunately, is not limited to. OCA:Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? TM: It’s great when a creative person has teachers, but if you belong to the community of artists and poets, then it is the rivalry in creativity that is both a stick and a carrot that spurs you on to self-improvement.

TATYANA MENDYBAYEVA

In 2021, I participated in the annual competition held by the Guild in the category “Poetry” and became a finalist in the competition, which was attended by more than 200 poets from 12 countries of the world ... What is this if not an incentive?

I HAVE ALWAYS PAINTED OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Tatyana Mendybayeva: Born in the USSR in the last century. Most of my life I lived in the ex-union republic of the ex-USSR, which since 1991 has been an independent state the Republic of Kazakhstan. My main activity is work in the country’s healthcare system, because many years ago I chose medicine as my profession. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? TM: I have always painted. I started writing poetry about 20 years ago. At the beginning, these were epigrams and poetic congratulations on various occasions. After that, the rhymes began to become more complicated ... What surprises me is

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This year I took part in the “Voices of Friends” competition already in 3 nominations: “Poetry” with a fairy tale about Bluebeard, “Illustration” - illustrations for a book about animals (for the youngest children) and the nomination “Painting” - with a young man portrait in the technique of oil painting. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? TM: What can I wish for people of the Homo faber type (lat. A person who creates), who write poetry and prose, paintings, articles and music for themselves, or rather “on the table”? Let professionals evaluate your work and you will have a chance to express yourself to the world. Dare!

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LITERATURE I started writing poetry in September 2019. Member of the literary and artistic association “Run”, International Union of Russian-speaking writers, International Union of Writers of North America, Member of the Eurasian Creative Guild. Poems were published in the “Anthology of Russian Poetry 2020” and “Anthology of Russian Poetry 2021”, collections of the MSRP, in the collections of the publishing house “Four”, St. Petersburg. Three collections of poems and essays “Vytoki”, “Captured by Life” and “towards fate” were published, co-author and compiler of the book about the small homeland “There is such a Dubina”. Together with our like-minded fellow countrymen, we try to preserve the original culture of our ancestors, to pass on their traditions. We are collecting materials of each clan inhabiting our native village and by the anniversary of the village we plan to publish a handmade book about all the inhabitants of my small homeland, to restore the bell tower, which was located in the local cemetery. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? MM: If I believed in chance, I would say that I came into creativity by chance.

MARIA MUCHINSKAYA WHAT IS YOUR ROLE ON EARTH? OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Maria Muchinskaya: I live in Minsk, Belarus. I was born in 1953 in the Dubina village, Belarus. Have two higher educations: mathematics-programmer and economics. Currently a pensioner, I study at the school-studio of icon painting “Zavet”. I love loneliness and silence. Many years of living in a hostel taught me not to hear external noise during my philosophizing about the world, people, and the future.

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Having finished the eight-year school, I left my native places, visited them only on holidays and weekends.And during one of my visits life brought me to a wonderful person, Tamara Vladimirovna, with whom we eventually became friends. The warmth of her feelings for the village, its inhabitants, among whom she spent her youth, she decided to capture in the book. It was a great pleasure for me to support her. Of course, at that moment I didn’t even have thoughts that I would write a poem in verse about the masters of the early 20th century. I consider Yanka Kupala and Maxim Bogdanovich as an example in creativity, close in spirit to my heart. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? MM: The most important thing is that the Eurasian Creative Guild highly appreciated our book about fellow countrymen. During the X OEBF Festival in Samarkand in the nom-

ination “Poems” I was awarded the first prize. I am proud of this book, because it gave happiness to so many people, moreover, it describes some facts from the life of heroes that relatives did not even know about. I am also grateful to be a co-author and one of the compilers of this book, which opened a new milestone in my life. At the fifth international literary contest “Constellation of Spirituality” - 2021, I was awarded with a diploma named after Tatyana Ainova for the best poetic lyrics in the nomination “Books of the Future” 3D, the e-book “Lesu nasustrach” was noted as the best 3D book among authors from the Near Abroad.

derstand that dark shades in life cannot be completely replaced with light ones, but I do not lose hope that it is possible to make them lighter and smaller in volume. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? MM: Most importantly, be honest in your work to yourself and your conscience. Remember that the word heals and hurts. Creativity should heal, sow light, help to distinguish bad from good. And never be shy to learn, to accept criticism with gratitude. Criticism is a very important teacher of any creative person. Never stop and believe that the best is yet to come.

OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? MM: I think that my sincere attitude to what is happening and the reflection of my feelings in poems and essays.With my works, I do not try to impose my point of view, but I strive to cause a desire to think, to ask myself the question: who are you? What is your role on earth? Feel responsible for what is happening, overcome indifference in yourself. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? MM: I have only been a member of the Guild since the middle of 2021. I took part in the ``Voices of Friends-2021” and “Voices of Friends-2022”. Participated in X OEBF Festival in Uzbekistan. My visit to the X Open Eurasia Festival, as well as meetings with representatives of the Guild, their creative potential gave me confidence, inspired, spiritually supported. There is confidence that my works are not in vain, they are read and interested in them. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? MM: With my work, I dream of making the world at least a little kinder, brighter, more honest. If at least one person, after reading my poems, thinks, overestimates their values, becomes at least a little kinder, this will be the best gift for me. It is a great joy when my friends say that they need to think after reading my poem. I un-

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LITERATURE OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? KM: I started writing by chance. I consider my father to be my teacher in everything. Story ideas come naturally. Almost nothing is connected either with me or with my life. Only apparently a rich imagination and a desire to tell something, to save from something, to feel sad or think about different things. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? KM: Since I am a professional musician and artist, I try to write in such a way that readers hear the music of the word, feel the form of the work and its colours. I’m also a member of the Writers Guild. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? KM: Unfortunately, I haven’t participated yet in any event personally due to the pandemic. I hope that the world will return to normal existence and this will become possible. I have attended only a few online conferences. I hope to personally visit various events and competitions in the future.

KARINA MULIAR I LOVE ALL OF YOU OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Karina Muliar: I was born and raised in Chisinau. Graduated from a music school, then from the Academy of Arts. In 1991 my family moved to live in Israel. Here I graduated from the Batzalel Art Academy, I teach fine arts at a secondary school and started writing in 2010. The death of my father had influenced the fact that I began to study literature seriously, oddly enough. He was an example for me in everything. I write and publish short stories.

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OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? KM: Motivation for me is my ideas that appear in my head in the form of sentences, phrases or some kind of pictures. The purpose of my creativity is that as many people as possible stop and think about such eternal things as friendship, love, relationships between people. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? KM: I want to wish all members of the Guild health, peace and more creative achievements. I would like to wish people who are starting their career to read more classics.To think about what they write about and how. Do not chase the one-day fashion for any reading matter, but bring your own individual to the masses. But the most important thing today is health and peace. I want to tell everyone, perhaps a banal phrase: People! I love all of you.

LITERATURE always taught me to stand firm in what I believe and always be with an open heart and mind. Welcome new people and ideas into my life that will later take me on a whirlwind journey. Along with my parents and my children who both inspire me continually. They fuel my creative enthusiasm and make me reach for more when I write with their stories and ideas. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? DN: I had the pleasure of attending an event “BOOK FORUM FESTIVAL “in Brussels in November 2019. I would say mainly EGC influences my creativity through the need of sharing with people my story. I believe people are always interested in a good read especially if it pertains actual life events it brings you closer to the audience and the writer at hand. Real life events and challenges connect me with my audience on a personal level making it an intimate read between the reader and writer.

DILOROM NISHANOVA MY MOTIVATION IS MY FAMILY OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Dilorom Nishanova: My name is Dilorom, I live and work in Washington DC. I write about real life of people and drama. The genre of my books composes of true and fictional characters through the stories that play out.

OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? DN: My motivation is my family. Family is important regarding teaching and showing aspects of your life that you did not know existed or were there. By Unfolding the layers to their life and having a closer and meaningful look at mine. Makes it a unique situation of how far I can take my reader and my thoughts. My mission for my writing is for my voice to be heard and for the reader to relate his or her own life and or story. I believe people have similar patterns and go through life facing the same challenges and to reflect on circumstances and being able to write them out is magic on its own. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? DN:My advice for someone who is starting to write is to write from the heart and connect to your audience by tapping into the readers emotions and feelings then you will surely succeed. “People will forget what you said but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? DN: I believe my path chose me, with the events that happened to me personally and the events that I have seen unfold in front of me. My inspiration for my creative work is my family especially my grandfather who

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LITERATURE model in economics. In 2011 I received a $ 200,000 prize from the Founder of Facebook-Mark Zuckerberg-for the discovery of econometrics. In 1995 I was sent to Harvard University for an internship to build a bridge of scientific cooperation between the Academician of Sciences of Kazakhstan and the Leadership of Harvard University. In 1997 I received a recommendation from the Ufa Institute of Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences for doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge, was recommended by Professor Natalia Kutluzhanovich Bakirov, a leading cryptography specialist of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Currently I am an expert of the Astana Economic Forum on the World Economy and the Astana Club Nobel laureates», I work in the structure of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the BRAND AMBASSADOR of the Open World Foundation. Since 2016 I have been elected as a member of the New York Academy of Sciences-Professor of Econometrics. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? NM: The goal of any scientist to make discoveries is to bring innovations to our world that improve the life of every inhabitant of the planet, national technological progress is the engine of evolutionary development.

NURLAN MUNBAEV TRY TO MAKE OUR LIFE A LITTLE BETTER OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Nurlan Munbaev: I was born in the city of Guryev in 1971, on June 17. I graduated from school with a silver medal from the 67th school in Almaty in 1989 and in the same year won the republican Olympiad in political economy. In 1990 I received recognition at George Washington University and was admitted to this university without exams, but was not released from the USSR, as I belonged to dissidence. In 2013 I became the winner of the G-Global section among 10,000 mathematicians of the world for the work of the gravitational

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OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? NM: To be an expert of the Astana Economic Forum - and become a brand ambassador of the Open World Foundation, which is engaged in research and solutions to the world economy and politics, another achievement for myself to become a brand ambassador of the international school of autism “Otishium” in the city of Nur-Sultan OCA: Please tell us about your work experience in the International School of Autism “Otisium”. NM: It is a great honour for me to become a brand ambassador of the international school of autism “Otishium”. Centre Otisium Qazaqstan this two complementary destinations for children with features in development, located in Nur-Sultan city: Otisium sports program and Qadam academic program. Otisium is unique,patented.Turkish Sports and Life Education Program for people with autism spectrum disorder.In

Kazakhstan, it was presented for the first time in the city of Nur-Sultan of the year under the guidance and personal supervision of the Erdal program developer Atesha.Erdal Ates- Head of Autism Council of TurkeyRepresentative of the third region of the World.ANCA World Autism Festival Ambassador. Teacher physical education and sports, professional football player. Founder of the OTISIUM program (training life and sport).Founder of the sports club Otisium autism life. Qadam is an academic program for children from 6 years, aimed at preparing them for inclusive education, working out and generalisation of school material under Abuova Ayman Kanatovny- psychologist, master of psychology and pedagogy inclusive education, which has a unique practical experience of working with children with ASD.

OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your work? NM: I consider the main motivation to make discoveries and implement them in life, so that know-how makes our life a little better. My goal is for scientific discoveries in econometrics, mathematical economics, political economy to receive worldwide recognition this is important like any scientist.

OCA: You have often mentioned and admired the achievements of the genius boy from the Othisium School. Could you please tell more about him? NM: The boy of the genius of the 2th Dimash Kudaibergen School is called Kalauov Mukhanbetali Molbaevich. He is from Aktobe, a city on a white hill in western Kazakhstan. His interest in art manifested itself from childhood. When his mother brought him the Kazakh national instrument, the Dombra as a child, since then Mukhanbetali developed an interest in the Dombra, and from the second grade the boy genius went to the Dombra classes. At school he sang, read poetry, danced , and during the years of transition from the sixth to the seventh grade, the voice of Mukhanbetali became similar to the voice of the world famous genius - Dimash Kudaibergenov. In the same year, he became famous opera singer. On many Instagram channels where his videos were broadcast, he was delighted with the recognition of the people and graduated from the Dombra class in the same year. Until this year he was engaged in singing. Participated in competitions and won prizes. Our little genius is from a poor family, he has no father, for this reason, as the 9th guardian of the Eurasian Creative Guild, he considered it important to hold the young genius. So, Mukhanbetali became a member of the Eurasian Guild. Mukhanbetali, became a member of this guild at the age of 15. I believe that this one of the great achievements for a genius from Aktobe ‘-Kazakhstan-and I wish Mukhanbetali great victories, as he said “The great Lev Tolstoy - Talents must be helped, but mediocrity will break through”

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PERFORMING ARTS Press, I really wanted to be a part of it all. And now I am manager of the Hertfordshire Press book project, and I am wildly satisfied with my work, glad that I help creative people achieve their dreams. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? AN: To be honest, there is not a single person who has greatly influenced me, or rather, this is not one person. All the people that I have come across in one way or another have brought me something, I get some knowledge and experience from each person.Well, of course, first of all, these are my parents, who showed me the world, who did not limit me in anything and gave me complete freedom to explore the world myself.Thanks to this freedom, I was able to understand what I really like. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? AN: Well, the most important achievement is my work. These are ECG, Hertfordshire Press, creative festivals where I helped. Thanks to this work, I realized that if a person really wants something, then he will definitely succeed.

AKNUR NURTAZA

OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? AN: Probably diligence ... And not a small important thing, I learned not to give up, but to try again and again, this applies not only to work ...

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself does ECG influence your creativity and success and your creative activity / work in your work? Aknur Nurtaza: I was born and live in Kazakhstan. AN: During the year I participated in two festivals. My Kazakh people have many traditions and customs, but first festival was Voices of Friends, which took place in since childhood I have been interested in other coun- the fall of 2021 in Kazakhstan, in Borovoe. I remember tries, languages and peoples.Also, as you know, we were how we prepared for this event for several months, part of the USSR and some cultures from the Slavic there were even sleepless nights)) But when the festicountries still remain in our country. Therefore, I can val days came, I realized that it was all worth it. I had say that many Kazakhs, like me, have a contrast. And I such different, in a good way, impressions that I will always wanted to complement the contrast with trav- remember these days forever, because it was all new eling, learning languages and meeting different people. to me. And at the age of 25, I found the perfect job for me, a job that combines different cultures, languages, creativ- But the second festival in which I participated - this is ity and unique people. A year ago, when I first learned the 10th OEBF Literary Festival - was held in Tashkent. about the Eurasian Creative Guild and Hertfordshire It was my first trip to work in another country. The WE ARE ALL UNIQUE

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first thing I remember was the weather, since it was the month of December, there was snow and snowstorms in Kazakhstan, and when we arrived in Tashkent, the warm weather just hugged us. I remember this festival with its warmth. Tashkent, the inhabitants of this city and the guests of the festival, all became so dear to me during the festival. I am glad that I was part of such events, I will always remember … OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? AN: Since I am currently working on book projects and at the Hertfordshire Press, I would really like and even say my goal for the future is to show our books to the whole world. After all, we have such unusual books, such different authors, and I can confidently say that there is no such publishing house as ours in the world. And I wish everyone knew about it... OCA:What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? AN: Don’t be afraid... If you have something to say to the whole world, if you want to share your creativity, then don’t be afraid, we are all unique. There are a lot of different people in the world, if everyone was afraid or doubted themselves, then there would be no such outstanding people, so do not be afraid, who knows, maybe you are the next outstanding person who will remain in history

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ART My brother, Alexander Kolmakov, is now an excellent coach in ski jumping, and participated in sports olympiads. I had a happy childhood, was fond of swimming, gymnastics, and magic tricks. I have always been an inquisitive, active girl. I have a good three-dimensional vision of objects, so I graduated from a design institute and designed railways. I liked it. Now I work as an accountant in a large company. Creative energy woke up in me a few years ago. I combine my professional activity with the creative flight and new emotions. My life is filled with bright colours, I am interested in seeing new opportunities and embodying them in my life. I have traveled a lot in my life. And now I try to often go out into nature and fill up. I lived in Germany and gave birth to two children there. Now my children have created their own happy families. My son, Alexander, has a wonderful wife, Milicent, and a daughter, my granddaughter Evochka. Growing up as a singer and artist.

GALINA PRIMORSKAYA AT ANY AGE,YOU CAN START TO REVEAL YOURSELF OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Galina Primorskaya: I am Primorskaya Galina (@galinaprimorskaya), I was born in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan. My parents are simple. but talented people. Mom, Olga Akimovna, a professional cutter and seamstress, the pride of our city. She has been creating exclusive outfits for famous people of our country for many years. And dad, Pavel Vasilyevich Kolmakov, was the best electrician in the city. The profession was his calling.

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Daughter, Daria Savvina @ darya_savvina_visual . And her wonderful husband Timur, they are raising their son Alexei. My grandson loves building houses and painting. My grandchildren are 6 years old. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? GP:I began to reveal my talents in October 2018. I signed up for drawing courses, where I learned how to paint beautiful pictures. I also completed a course in photography. And at the same time engaged in self-development. Another hobby of mine is playing a real drum set. Of course the teachers are my parents.Watching them, I noted for myself with what love and pleasure they worked. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? GP: My first exhibition opening day took place in December 2021.

The exhibition was opened by the guest of honour, founder of the Eurasian Creative Guild of London Marat Akhmedzhanov. The exhibition was held at the highest level!

I like to communicate with the younger generation, exchange ideas and energies, and then we begin to understand each other better. Life becomes bright and interesting.

It was a double holiday for me in my creative life. I became a member of the Eurasian Creative Guild London – this is the best international networking platform.

I think this is our main goal - to make people a little happier.

On March 22, I had a reporting concert. I was a drummer, the song of the Earthlings ensemble “Grass at Home” was performed.It turned out great. My first interview took place in the big magazine “ChiefAtyrau” OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? GP: At any age, you can start to reveal yourself, I was lucky enough to start everything at the age of 50. The main thing is to have spiritual and physical freedom. Then there are desires to create beauty for yourself and the world.

OCA:What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? GP: I want to wish you to learn to listen to yourself and fulfil your desires. Work hard and get respectable results. Always move forward to your victories and achievements.It gives strength and self-confidence. Enjoy the gifts of the universe. After all, you can get a lot of ideas and opportunities. Together we are a force! We can make the world happy and beautiful!

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? GP: I participated in presentations in Almaty. I have been in the Guild for four months. A big event, the second festival “Voices of friends: poetry and visual arts”, from May 6 to 10 will be held at Rixos Borovoe and ECG Art Residence There will be a lot of different activities for every taste - painting, poetry, cinema. During the festival, there is a great opportunity to meet new unique people, expand the circle of like-minded people. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? GP: I like to discover amazing abilities in myself. There is a desire to do something new, interesting for yourself.To show an example to people that this is possible, you just need to work and fulfil your desires yourself. No one will do it for you and will not achieve results.

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ART NR: I didn’t study art but always enjoyed painting as an amateur artist. I embraced the free time caused by the recent Covid lockdown and rediscovered the joys of being creative! I don’t really have a role model, but I am inspired by the love and kindness of people I meet. The purity and beauty of flowers is a constant source of inspiration too.These sinless creatures are my neighbours, in Balchik’s beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? NR: The Balchik Art Gallery, hosting my exhibition entitled “Heavenly Gardens”, was undoubtedly the highlight of my year. I was delighted and honoured to present several of my works to the Gallery’s permanent collection. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? NR: Rather than capturing exact landscapes and flowers, I am painting my fantasy, using colour with almost a kaleidoscope effect.

NATALYA ROVENSKAYA LOVE WILL ALWAYS PAVE THE WAY TO A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE! OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Natalya Rovenskaya: I moved to Bulgaria from my birthplace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, five years ago and live in Balchik with my Bulgarian partner Yan. I graduated from Tashkent Conservatory as a violinist, and have a second Degree from Tashkent Culture University. I briefly performed in the orchestra and fronted a pop music band as a vocalist. I love singing and never shy from bursting into a song. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life?

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OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? NR: Having only just joined the ECG, I’ve not yet had an opportunity to participate in any events, but am very much looking forward to doing so. Learning about the success achieved by other members gives me confidence to reach out to a wider audience, to promote my work. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? NR: I am enjoying immersing myself in the sites and sounds of Balchik life, getting to know other local artists and contributing to the unique ambiance of my new home town. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? NR: I wish them to not be afraid or shy to express themselves in their own unique way. See the world as beautiful, and learn to love it as it is. Love will always pave the way to a successful future!

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LITERATURE future grandchildren and great-grandchildren through my books, just to leave not only a trace in history, but also to share my creativity with you. I wanted to bring something good into this world and bring positive thoughts and most importantly – the endless, absolute love for everything. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? AR: My first role model are my ancestors, who passed on all the talents of our Clan. The second one, of course, was my father, Mukan Ryskulbekov, the Honored Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic, the composer, singer and actor. He is no longer with us, nevertheless his songs are alive, he sends his feelings through his music, and I can still feel it through his creative work. To this day, he is called a People’s Artist, he was a man with deep feelings.Third one - my mother who taught me to feel love and to show it, which I highly appreciate. Nor should we fail to note, the children that chose me, my friends and my close ones, who makes me feel various types of emotions.

AIGUL RYSKULBEKOVA LISTEN ONLY TO YOUR INNER WORLD OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Aigul Ryskulbekova: Once, when I was studying at school, my friend asked me to make a birthday card for him, and from that moment I started to write my poetry, songs, fairy tales and stories. Your hidden talents can be easily discovered all of a sudden, by chance, and it’s very important to keep on trying and never give up. I became a children’s author quite by accident, when I was watching my little sons playing, I came up with an idea that I need to leave something behind for them to remember me. The idea did not end there, of course, because I wanted to reach out and get to know my

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OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? AR: As far as I am concerned, it is impossible to put my achievements into the time frame of one year, in the view of the fact that my achievements at this moment are the consequence of my past contribution to the future career. The main achievement of a person, I believe, is developing his or her own soul. We come into this world for a very important purpose, and for this purpose we must work on ourselves, improve and develop our merits, become better every day, raise the power of our Clan and increase the number of the clan’s talents and pass on their traditions, as well as, continuously helping people in developing their souls. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? AR: I don’t think I can be described as unique, that’s what people who judge your work do. I suppose, everyone is unique in their own perspective and is capable of identifying talents, further developing them. Believe me, the most important thing is to get started! I share my inner world as I see it at the moment, when I derived my inspiration, writing poetry, as a result. My creativity is inside of me, thus every book is a part of me, as well. The special feature of me is that I do it with great love.

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? AR: I participate in the Guild’s life in various projects to this day. For instance, my presentation of a series of four children’s books written in Kyrgyz and Russian, which took place in Stockholm. The Guild unites people with different artistic backgrounds. In my specific occasion, it’s about expanding borders, which means new creative acquaintances and new creative projects, inclusively. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? AR: My main motivation is to bring more positivity to the readers, to make them be able to see the positive side in the daily rush and hustle and of course to evolve every day, also, being capable of building up the curiosity and always ask the question ‘why?’. Culture needs to be preserved by every single person, this is one of the few things that makes us different from one another. Last but not least, is to tackle your fears. My goal for today is that I have been writing, and I will keep on writing my poetry in the future. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? AR: I think, when a person develops his soul every day, his creativity grows along with it, as well as his vision and perspective of life, his worldview.The only two things that stops us from the further development are just our laziness and fear, and in order to somehow deal with them, you just have to get up and make it happen. I would advise the beginners to set and achieve their goals no matter what, and the main thing is to listen only to your inner world, and only after that your creativity and your path will be unique!

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LITERATURE I retrained as a PR specialist, devoting another 15 years of my life to this occupation. But I never gave up my pen, I gave preference to short stories and novelettes. Many of them, unfortunately, did not survive, the rest I collected in a book that was published in 2017 in London, with the assistance of the Eurasian Creative Guild. The book is interesting because the heroes of my stories were real people, not fictional.That is why it is called “True Stories”. The book includes 3 chapters. One of them is stories about famous people in Kazakhstan, talented and special by the fact that they have received recognition during their lifetime. The other is stories about my family members, or people I knew personally. And the final one is philosophical reflections on a variety of topics that become sharp and significant in the life of any person, that they received recognition during their lifetime.

NAZYM SAPAROVA MY GOAL IN LIFE IS TO BE NEEDED BY PEOPLE OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Nazym Saparova: I was fond of reading from early childhood. I especially loved fairy tales of the peoples of the world. I wrote my first fairy tale at the age of 10. As I got older, I started writing stories. These were novelettes describing my inner and surrounding world. My father was a writer and journalist, so he always approved of the activity, which gradually turned into a hobby. After graduating from the university with a degree in journalism, I worked in the media for many years, going from an ordinary paper’s staffer to the chief editor. Later, I went to work for a company, where

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OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? How did you choose your path and who is your example/teacher? NS: I became a writer on my father’s advice, who was for me not only the most dear and beloved person. He was also my teacher and mentor. Noticing my contemplation and love for fantasy, he asked me to make up stories on pictures from books when I was only 4 years old. He was devoting a lot of his time to me, and encouraging a children’s imagination in every possible way, he practically grew a writer out of me. My father, Samar Baizhanov, was an excellent journalist, his favourite genre was an essay - a genre that contains elements of a story. For many years he headed the most important newspaper in Kazakhstan. My father wrote not only articles in newspapers, he is the author of 23 books in prose. I am proud of my father, he was an honest and hardworking man. A street and a school bear his name in Almaty. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? NS: My third book came into existence in 2021. This is a biographical story about the famous theatre and film director of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Mambetov, who was known for his theatrical performances not only in Kazakhstan, but also abroad. He staged performances in Moscow, Prague, Shiraz, took performances on tour to Paris and other cities of the world.These performances deservedly entered the treasury of Kazakhstani culture, and were awarded numerous awards. His life story is

the story of a man, who thanks to his talent and work, achieved recognition and fame. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? NS: My main feature is love for literature, history, psychology. The human world is huge and diverse, and this is a goldmine of information that needs to be explored and passed through. All this leads to creativity, the desire to write comes by itself. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? NS: During one of the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild in Almaty, I learned that it is possible to publish a book in London. And I felt it was right. The Guild’s offer to publish a book and distribute it to the whole world through the Guild is a good solution for aspiring writers. The presentation of my book took place in Stockholm, and it was a great time for me, as I not only saw a new country, but also met many creative people from different countries: artists, poets and writers. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? NS: In my opinion, a big motivation is to increase the number of readers of my books, as well as to unite creative people (in the Guild) as like-minded people in a completely new and extraordinary form. We did not notice how we became friends. My goal in life is to be needed by people, and to bring good, maybe even in such a peculiar manner as writing. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their careers? NS: I wish the Guild prosperity, because this union unites creative people in their ranks, whose thoughts are full of beauty, love, peace. I would like to wish creative people, starting their careers, good luck in new projects, work for people, and world peace, not be afraid of difficulties, and always go towards your goal and your dream.

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FILM In 2018 we sat at the director’s helm and made our debut short animated film, it has collected many awards and accolades from festivals such as: Peninsula Film Festival (Australia) - Best International Short Film; Calcutta International Cult Film Festival (India) - finalist; ARUFF Alemlere Rahmet (Turkey) - finalist. In 2019, we made our first short feature film,“Поздний сеанс” (eng: Late Session), and although it didn’t collect a ton of awards, we gained a tremendous amount of experience that will help us avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Still, we were finalists in one festival: 2019, Indie Short Fest (Los Angeles) - Certificate of Achievement Finalist Screenwriting has also paid off over the years; 2020 was a good year for me and my co-writer. For our script of the action movie “Ночной призрак” (eng: Night Ghost) we took an award:Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival - Best Screenplay under 120 pages (USA). And also for the script of the drama “В шаге от самого себя” (eng: One Step from Myself: Golden Pen) (Kazakhstan) - Best Screenplay and Drama of the Year.

MANSUR SARSEMBAYEV THE GOAL IS SELF-REALIZATION OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work MS: I am Mansur Sarsembayev, a big fan of cinematography and everything related to it. I started my screenwriting career together with my co-writer Maxud Sarsembayev back in 2016. Since then, we’ve written over 20 full-length screenplays, in genres ranging from action movies to comedies. We have honed our skills, it was evident in the Black List platform where our scores have improved with each script, we end up getting a 7 out of 10 from foreign critics.

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OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? MS: I wouldn’t lie if I said that our father is the one who instilled in us the right taste for movies. When I was a kid, my father had several boxes of cassettes, and we used to take them all and watch them over and over again. Especially “The Matrix” and “The Last Samurai”. When I was in high school, my co-writer and I used to take all the new releases from the video store off the shelves. And after watching it together with my father we used to discuss the pluses and minuses of the picture from the point of view of the visual range and script structure. And so our passion was formed. It is not difficult to guess that my father was like Moses for us, who pushed the boundaries of our imagination with movies.These circumstances will lead us to screenwriting in the future. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? MS: In 2021, the author and I also have no small distinction, most of it scriptural achievement: - Best Script Award (London) - Best Asian Screenplay “The Family Dialect” - Votkinsk International Film Festival (Russia) - Best

Screenplay “The Family Dialect” - Eurasian Creative Guild Film Festival (London) - Best Screenplay “Hacked Future” - Finalist Diploma “Pitch Lab 2022” from CTC TV (Russia): “Puncher” series and “Hacked Future” feature animated film. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? MS: My uniqueness rests on two pillars of faith. The first is the background of the films I’ve seen, and the scriptwriting experience of more than 6 years, which is a huge advantage for young filmmakers, especially those like us who are aiming for auteur cinema. As Akira Kurosawa said, “If you want to be a great director, be a great screenwriter”. Secondly, having a co-author makes up for the fact that I’m not an expert in certain aspects with more than one like-minded person.

want to go deeper, you have to make a feature film as an author, with the support of financing or with your own money. OCA:What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? MS: I wish Eurasia Guild members and all creative people to achieve the heights. Our dreams and interests define us as individuals, so it makes no sense to give them up.

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? MS: I have been a member of ECG since 2019. It’s always exciting to compete at a festival for an award, it’s like being in the ring, but instead of working your muscles, you’re working your guts out. Especially at the ECG Film Festival where the competition is always tough. This year I was a member of the jury at ECG Film Festival IV, and it was our responsibility to read a lot of work from different authors. It was very enlightening and somewhat of an innovation to judge with an open mind. To abstract one’s preferences and favorite genres for the sake of fairness. This experiment makes it clear that judging is not that easy. There are so many factors to consider, whether it’s the author’s delivery, the dialogue, the characters, or the structure of the script. A huge plus is that you’re remembering all the basics of storytelling, and reinforcing your old knowledge. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? MS: Every day we see more and more young directors conquering prestigious festivals like Sundance or Cannes, and you realize that a director in his 30s is no longer considered a prodigy. You don’t need more motivation than that. The goal is self-realization. If you

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FILM We translate all our scripts into English and send them to American and European film competitions. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? MS: It was easy to choose my path, because I was not interested in anything but movies, I would even say more: I am not interested to this day. I started writing feature scripts with my co-writer in 2016. And, making short films in 2019. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? MS: The major victories in 2021 are: - Eurasian Creative Guild Film Festival 2021 - Best Screenplay (“Hacked Future”) - Votkinsk International Film Festival 2021 (Russia) Best Screenplay (“The Family Dialect”) - Best Script Awards 2021 (London) - Best Asian Screenplay (“The Family Dialect”) - Finalist Diploma “Pitch Lab 2022” from CTC TV (Russia): “Puncher” series and “Hacked Future” feature animated film. (*Here two of our projects made it to the finals, where we defended them at a pitching session in front of the leaders of the Russian film industry. A total of 1186 applications were submitted from 160 cities in 23 countries.

MAXUD SARSEMBAYEV I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN ANYTHING BUT MOVIES... OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Maxud Sarsembayev: My name is Maxud Sarsembayev. I am a director, screenwriter, video editor and photographer. I’ve been writing scripts with my co-writer and co-director Mansur Sarsembayev, for six years. The average score of our scripts on the American film platform of the best unreleased scripts “The Black List” is 7 out of 10.

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I participated in the Carl Schoenfeld film workshop organized by the Goethe Institute and the State Center for National Film Support in Kazakhstan. The selection process took place among thousands of young filmmakers and producers in Kazakhstan. Also, I participated in workshops by American experts: director Hugo Perez, festival agent Kathleen McInnis, and producer Justin Feltman, organized by the American Film Showcase, the U.S. Consulate General in Kazakhstan and the 48HFR Online Film Academy. The selection was made among filmmakers from the CIS countries. This year I am on the Jury in the English and Russian screenplay category at the 4th Eurasian Film Festival in London 2022. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique?

MS: What makes our work unique? Personally, from my point of view, it’s the originality of the ideas, as well as the meticulous approach to working on projects. For example, after we write a feature screenplay, we translate it into English by ourselves, but we don’t send it immediately to competitions. First, we send it to be evaluated for reviews on such popular American film platform as “The Black List” (where have been found such scripts as “Imitation game” and “King’s speech”). And once we get enough reviews with reasoned criticism, we make changes to the script, and already confident in the quality of the project, we send the script to competitions around the world. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? MS: Since 2020, I have been a member of the “Film Industry Expert Council ECG” in the Eurasian Creative Guild. In addition, I am a member of the jury in the upcoming contests from the “Expert Council”: “Best Video Content” (*video blog/travel video/podcast). 2nd contest “Best video clip or commercial”. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? MS: Our goal is to break into Hollywood and “become part of the crowd”, but at the same time to represent Kazakhstan’s cinema on the world stage in the category “Foreign Language Film”. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? MS: I wish to all people in the creative industries, “Create, create, create again! Do not retreat from difficulties and do not fear criticism or condemnation of the work”.

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ART seriously and did not think about it as my future. Now I know that being a writer is not just a hobby, but a lifestyle, a dream and a goal that I really want to go to, guided by the principle of “not a day without a line.” OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? AS: After graduation, I entered the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture, by a lucky chance, I got to the Faculty of Documentary Communications and Tourism at the Department of Library and Information Activities. It was there that I realized that I wanted to become a writer, because then writing ceased to be a tool of sublimation for me. I showed my creative side only in the fourth year, when we, as the most “uncreative” faculty, organized our own creative competition. My prose passages took the first place there. This became a kind of “kick” that fate gave me from the bottom of my heart, showing me where I need to go. Life is generally the best teacher. No outstanding person will explain to you so easily what you need to do. Besides, life is not only a wonderful teacher, it is also an inexhaustible source of inspiration; it will give you new food for thought every day.

ANASTASIA SHEVCHENKO MY WHOLE FAMILY ARE CREATIVE PEOPLE OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Anastasia Shevchenko: I was born and grew up in a small closed city of Novouralsk. My whole family are creative people, so at an early age I realized that my life would be connected with art. At the age of two, looking at my dad, an artist, I began to draw. I studied at a school with an artistic and aesthetic bias, so I realized my creative potential there.The first years I focused on drawing, but I did it because at that time I still did not understand how to express my inner feelings differently. At the age of 11, I realized that I liked writing prose the most, although at that time I still did not take it

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OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? AS: I think my biggest achievement this year is that I have become bolder in the manifestation of my creativity, I have stopped being afraid of criticism and regard “experience” as a “failure”, I have become more honest, first of all, with myself. Teenage romanticization and sentiment are, of course, fine, but it’s more useful to be in constant self–improvement. I am very happy that my creativity is growing and developing with me. I also realized that writing “to the table” no longer makes sense, and it’s time to move on, publish and communicate with my target audience in order to identify my strengths and weaknesses. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? AS: It seems to me that the main task of any good writer is not to give the reader ready-made answers to all his questions, but to ask those questions that the reader must answer for himself.This, I think, is the basis of my work.

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? AS: I haven’t had time to participate in Guild projects yet, but I will definitely do it in the future. However, I attended creative meetings. When a large number of people gather in one place who are sincerely in love with art, as well as united by a sense of belonging to a common cause, it’s just amazing. Emotions are indescribable! OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? AS: My main motivation is the realization that I can do more, better, understanding that I have potential that needs to be realized. Saving energy is wonderful, the main thing is to remember that the accumulated knowledge, experience, and potential must be released into the world in time. And my life goal is very simple – to realize myself as a professional in my field, because I have everything else, I am generally a happy person. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? AS: First of all, consider your creativity not as a tool for making money (although this is the case), but as an opportunity to show what you feel and think to other people. This is a chance to establish communication even with those who do not understand you. All creative people can communicate without words: movements, images, even intonation.This is what makes each of us unique. Don’t be afraid to show yourself to the world. Every art has its own lover. Even if nine people don’t like your work, there will always be one who will be delighted.

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LITERATURE three audiobooks. From 2022 an Ambassador of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London). Marina VERNALIS is my stage name that combines the power of four female names: Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia (Wisdom) conveys the depth of those values that I bring to my audience. “MARINA VERNALIS`S POETRY SALON” is the author’s musical and poetic compositions, that allow a Man to realize his spiritual height, to seek the grace of the soul through the perception of the Beautiful! 8 years ago painting became the second wing of my Creativity! OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? MV: Pedagogy and my students led me to my creative path. When I started work as a school teacher, I was looking for a universal language of communication that was understandable to everyone and went from the heart - to the heart! The language of poetry became that for me! I began to speak to children in verse, and their ears grew accustomed to the vibrations of high Poetry, even though it was often poetry not for their age - for growing up! M.Tsvetaeva said: “Children won’t understand? Children understand too much!” I was convinced of this more than once.

MARINA SHKROBOVA-VERNALIS “POETRY IS MY UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE”

My guides to the world of Poetry were the Silver Age poets I “discovered” myself: Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva, Boris Pasternak, Nikolai Gumilev, Igor Severyanin, Alexander Blok. In their works to this day I find high examples of the pattern of joining sounds, rhythms and meanings.

For me Poetry and Pedagogy exist together as forms of Art that bear people’s values and a high order of the OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself Soul! I consider Shalva Amonashvili, the world famous and your creative activity / work Pedagogue, Academic, the author of Humane Pedagogy, Marina Shkrobova-Vernalis: My name is Marina as my Teacher in Life. His philosophy of Love and care Shkrobova-Vernalis. I`m a poet, artist, actress, by first for the child and each other feeds my philosophical Poeducation-teacher, candidate of pedagogical sciences, etry and allows me to express in verse what my soul holder of the gold badge “Knight of Humane Pedago- and the souls of many people in the world seek. gy”, by second education - diplomat, graduate of the The example of creative firmness, dedication and tireDiplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs less work for me is the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. of the Russian Federation. Author of the international In difficult moments I turn to the strength of her soul creative project “Marina Vernalis`s Poetry Salon” and and re-watch my favorite film by Emil Lautyanu “Anna the mistress of the Poetry Salon. Member of the Rus- Pavlova”. sian Writers’ Union, author of five poetry books and

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OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? MV: My main achievements in the recent period are related to poetry and painting: -I became a member of the International Academy of Russian Philology and received from the Academy the Diploma “Honoured Art Worker of Russia”; -I received I.A. Bunin Medal from the Union of Writers of Russia; - Silver Medal of the International Academy of Contemporary Arts for the creative project “Marina Vernalis’s Poetry Salon”; -Received a 2nd degree diploma laureate of the X International Festival “Open Eurasia” in the category “Illustration”; - Became an Ambassador of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London). OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? MV: Sincerity, filled with the energy of Love and Harmony, my style combines: rhythm and lace of words in poems, colours and strokes in painting. Creative wisdom and Light, giving the mood for high vibrations and Beauty!

“soul” (more than a body), to “cut the precious stone of my soul”, turning it into a diamond, to refine my sense of the Beautiful, to inspire people by my creativity! I consider the goal of my life is to discover my uniqueness, my divine essence and to find my own human face. I want the voice of my Poetry to be heard by as many people in the world as possible. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? MV: Don’t wait for all conditions and circumstances to be favourable, take small steps that reveal your unique talent! Appreciate each of your successes and in this state of Joy, dare to dream and imagine your new Height to take a new step! Photo:Tatyana Molotova

Also, my Voice! I’ve been “raising” it all my life, even though I know that God “put” this gift in my cradle at birth. My voice can bring the deepest meanings straight to the heart of my audience! OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? MV: In December 2021 I took part in the Jubilee X International Festival “Open Eurasia” and received a laureate diploma (2nd place) in the category “Illustration”. This is the first international award for my art and it gives me an incredible support and desire to create new masterpieces, to reveal my uniqueness! Now I dream to perform my poetry concerts with my new friends: in Kirgizia, Kazakhstan, Italy, England and many other countries! OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? MV: Motivation for me is the desire to feel myself as a

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ART competition of young designers “Russian Silhouette” with the “Mermaid” collection. Flowing fabric, and on top is a fishing net made of silver threads with shells woven into it, made by me by hand. I loved to draw clothes and faces, then I became interested in oil painting. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? ET: My path was chosen by my heart and a great desire to master oil painting. I took lessons from a talented artist and teacher Igor Sakharov. I like the paintings and technique of Claude Monet. I love to travel and study the architecture of different cities. The Gothic quarter of Barcelona and the masterpieces of the famous Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi, the ancient castles of Spain and Montreux in Switzerland, Monaco, Venice, Thailand with Buddhist temples. All this inspires and leadeth me to creativity. OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? ET: In May 2021, I took part in the exhibition for the holiday of ancient Slavic writing in Bulgaria, the city of Varna, Historical Park. I’ve learned the Slavic initial letter and amulets.

ELENA TITENKO THE SEARCH OF TRUE LOVE IS THE STRONGEST MOTIVATION OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Elena Titenko: My name is Elena Titenko, I was born in the South of Russia in a family of Kuban Cossacks. I spent all my childhood and youth in a small village on the Black Sea coast. There you can look at the moonlit path and the starry sky endlessly, filled with peace and happiness. My creative activity began at the Textile Academy. I learned how to turn a two-dimensional drawing into clothes in three-dimensional space. I participated in the

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And there was also an exhibition in St. Petersburg dedicated to cosmos, where I showed a collection of paintings “Constellations of the Starry Sky”. OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? ET: In my paintings, I combine the reality of this world and my fantasy. I mix different techniques and create new ones. At the beginning of the journey, I never know what the result will be, because I follow my feelings. Sometimes I conceive an image, take liquid acrylic and pour it onto a canvas, and when I see the result, I am convinced that we create everything around with our thoughts, ideas and desires. My paintings have depth, change depending on the lighting, they cannot be repeated, and this is the main uniqueness and value. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work?

ET: I participated in the “Illustration” category in the “Open Eurasia” contest and I want to visit one of the festivals of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London). In July 2021, for the first time, I came to a meeting of the Guild, met unique talented people full of bright creative energy, who radiated joy and inspiration. There I found many new friends who are united by creativity. Many thanks to Marat for his activities and the opportunities that he creates for all of us. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? ET: The search for true love is the strongest motivation. My goal is to do what gives me pleasure, fills me with energy and brings aesthetic joy to people. My dream is to paint as many snow-white canvases as possible and plant an olive orchard. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? ET: I wish the members of the guild and all creative people to keep the fire in their souls, keep dreaming, fantasise and create new masterpieces for this World.

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LITERATURE a manifestation of myself, my inner world, worldview, character, an integral part of the soul. I would say that creativity is the realisation of one’s talents. Each person is endowed with certain talents, and when he shows his talents, he creates. Therefore, creativity is the result of human activity. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? BT: On the way to creativity, I was lucky to work with the famous popular singer of the “neoclassical” genre (synthesis of opera and variety) “Golden Voice of Eurasia” Yerzhan Nurgaliyev, who currently lives and works in Moscow. Our joint project was implemented for special children “Revival of Love” “From Heart to Heart” also songs in a new format with interesting arrangements. One of my works is an author’s song dedicated to the memory of the great figure skater Denis Ten, the words were written by me, the music was written by the talented composer Shyryn Bazarkulova. I express my deep gratitude to the creative mentor, who encouraged me to continue my literary activity and is a source of inspiration for all my work. ....Poetry is the voice of the soul, described by the intellect of the heart.

BARSHAGUL TLEPINA LIVE AND LEARN OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Barshagul Tlepina: My name is Barshagul Tlepina, I am 46 years old, I was born in the Aktobe region, live and work in Almaty. My first education is medical. I successfully realised myself in medicine, currently working as a cosmetologist. The second is technical, where, thanks to my technical experience, I received the title of expert auditor in the field of technical regulation and Metrology. My life motto is: “Live and learn”. Since childhood, I was fond of reading, writing poetry, and publishing it in newspapers. Love for creativity inspires me to perceive creation. For me, creativity is

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OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? BT: The main achievement of 2021-2022 is the publication of my work “Age of Love” in the “Voices of Friends” Poetry Almanack dedicated to the 250th anniversary of Walter Scott, together with wonderful poets from all over the world, many thanks to the publishing house “HERTFORDSHIRE PRESS”. The brightest and most impressive for me and my son Amankeldiev Akimzhan was participation in the “Voices of Friends” festival. The emotions received during the festival gave me a new charge to create OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? BT: Every person is unique. Creativity plays a huge role in human life, the possibility of a great desire to live, to be happy. Creativity occupies a special place in the life of every person, since its manifestation is multifaceted. Creativ-

ity is unique because it is not repeatable, not copied, it is individual. This state is the highest gift for every creative person. Currently, I have written more than 200 pages in the “Poetry” genre and I thank the Universe for the opportunity to realise my dream. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? BT: I’m very grateful to the founder of the Eurasian Creative Guild, Akhmedjanov Marat Ismailovich, for the fact that my son and I were lucky to be members of the Guild. In December 2019, on the birthday of Akimzhan, together with the famous singer Yerzhan Nurgaliyev, we gave a charity concert “From Heart to Heart” for special children, at the Kazakhconcert Central Concert Hall with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. After the concert, I really wanted to realise my creative abilities at the international level, so I was lucky to meet the Guild! In 2021, we became the participants of the grandiose event of the Eurasian Creative Guild in Borovoye at the Rixos Hotel - Opening of the creative workshop in the picturesque place of Shchuchinsk. The atmosphere and natural landscapes filled us with the most unforgettable emotions, and gave us magnificent bright moments. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? BT: Creativity brings pleasure and joy. Being creative means thinking differently, acting differently, listening to yourself. Creativity helps me to get involved in the world around me, appreciate its beauty, and also appreciate other people. It also helps me discover more and more interesting and amazing things around us. OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? BT: A creative person is a whole world of brilliant ideas, a world of something beautiful and amazing. I wish the members of the Eurasian Creative Guild a creative flight, inspiration, joy, and music. Beautiful and sincere creative success, let each member of the Guild become a ray of inspiration for the creator of masterpieces or even simple but amazing trifles of art.

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ART Since 2013 I lead the non-governmental organisation “Scientific-Medical Society”, in which along with educational and scientific I began to develop a creative direction, Art-therapy for children with cancer, hereditary and other severe diseases. For us Art Therapy began quite traditionally: through the desire to help children who are seriously ill. The simplest thing to start with was drawing. Master-classes with the participation of famous Kazakh artists in the departments of children’s oncology and haematology, the organization of exhibitions of children’s work - it was great, beautiful, but not enough. I wanted more involvement of children in creativity, more long stay in it, that the result of therapy would be obvious.

SURIYA YESSENTAYEVA EVERY NEW DAY IS A NEW OPPORTUNITY OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Suriya Yessentayeva: I am 57 years old with 3 daughters and 2 granddaughters who I love very much. I am also an oncologist, a chemotherapist. I have been working in this field for more than 30 years: 25 years in the Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology (Almaty), since 2015 I have been the head of the Department of Oncology at the Kazakh-Russian Medical University.

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The theatre, participation in the production of a play this was a real boon in therapy for kids who have gone through a difficult path of treatment for cancer and even for those who were still going through this path. Since 2017, we have staged 4 productions in which all the roles were performed by children with different cancer and haematological diseases, some of them have overcome these diseases, some of them are on supportive therapy. All of the children’s works were exhibited in the theatre lobby during the performances. During the pandemic, 5 videos were created with the participation of children. Since 2021 our studio in cooperation with Artishok Theatre has been working on the creation of a new play. OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? SY: After graduating from high school with a mathematical bias, I planned to go to university to study applied mathematics. My dad convinced me that being a doctor was cooler: “A doctor in Africa and on a submarine is a doctor. If you marry a border guard, what will you do with your maths?” After graduating from medical school I didn’t even think about oncology, within a year I worked as a therapist in one of the districts of Almaty region, it took me about 3 hours to get to work and back. By chance I got to know that there was a vacancy at the institute of oncology (which can be reached within 15-20 minutes) and I agreed without thinking. I do not regret it. I think my teacher in oncology was professor Nino Apollonovna Chichua, MD. She was amazing, beautiful, demanding and kind. She taught me not only to be a chemotherapist, she taught me to

write articles, to plan, organise and participate in scientific projects and many other things related to medical activity. Nino Apollonovna is a Georgian who grew up in Georgia and stayed in Almaty after graduating from medical school..

believe that they are not left alone with the disease, that there is always an opportunity, if not to relieve the patient from pain, then to help him and his loved ones to cope with despair, to believe that LIFE IS CONTINUING.

OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? SY: For me the biggest achievement of 2021-2022 is that the pupils of our Art Therapy studio, these are kids who have managed not only to overcome cancer once, but most of them continue to face serious illnesses every day, took part in the international children’s and youth theatre festival-contest TTT “Theatre-Creativity-Talent”, which was held April 4-7, 2022 in Nur-Sultan, and won the second place in the “Performance” category.

OCA:What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? SY: Don’t stop, every new day is a new opportunity, a new step in your creativity. Creating beautiful things is a gift that is not given to everyone. Believe in yourself and trust in those who believe in you.

Another important stage for me in 2022 was the start of a new project “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on to someone else”, a kind of report on the activities of the Art Therapy Studio for five years. OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? SY: For our organisation, the Scientific Medical Society, joining the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) was a very important milestone. It opened up opportunities to present our achievements and works at the international level.Videos with the children of the Art Therapy Studio, which were created by us during the pandemic, when no theatre was working, were presented at the Eurasian Film Festival in 2021. The video “Lighthouse” was shortlisted as a finalist in the music video category at the 3rd ECG Film Festival. In addition, a story by Amangeldin Amani, a participant in the Let’s Paint a Fairy Tale writing contest that we have been holding since 2017, “Your Future Depends on You,” was included in the short story collection “The Thread.” And we also took part in the Tashkent Guild Festival. OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? SY: I met cancer patients every day for 32 years, I realised that every day is a gift that must be appreciated. For me it is important that the patient and his family

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LITERATURE looking for international partners, universities or research foundations, who are interested in this topic, to conduct further joint research and find solutions to help people. I dreamed of being a writer since my school days. One day, I decided to experiment, not imagining what result it would bring. For 90 days, I wrote down gratitude: - for happiness and pleasant moments of today, - gratitude to God and to myself. After 2 weeks of this practice, I noticed how many creative thoughts were in my head and I had an approximate plot for my first book. After 4 weeks, I already had a clear understanding of what the plot would be and the confidence that I would write. After 7 months, a book was born, which is called “The Power of Gratitude. The struggle between good and evil.” And after some time, the second book “The History of Neon” appeared.

TATIANA ZHUKOVA LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU!

OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life? TZ: My path is a mix of goals, achievements, trial and error, perseverance and constant work on myself. I admire people who know how to enjoy life, especially in difficult moments of life. Who knows how to make decisions quickly, be supportive and a true friend. First of all, I talk about my mother, knowing her life path, for me she is a symbol of fortitude and deepest wisdom.

OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work Tatiana Zhukova: I am Ukrainian, born and raised in Odessa. For the last 10 years I have been working in the field of personnel management.

OCA: What is your main achievement in 20212022? TZ: In 2021, I had the honor to participate in the X International Literary Contest Open Eurasia, and I was among the winners in the prose category.

Since 2021, I am a PhD student in Odessa State Economical University, engaged inscientific activities. Currently, in connection with the war in Ukraine, I am conducting research in the field of personnel management in war conditions: Ukrainians working remotely, hiding in basements from explosions, or moving to a new place, continue to perform business tasks. I am

In 2022, life presents me with a new challenge - the war in Ukraine. Everything that we have been creating for years is disappearing before our eyes. I never thought that the war will be in my life. You know, when you watch on TV or read about military events in a foreign country, of course, it’s scary. But these are incommen-

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surable emotions when all this happens in your life: checkpoints throughout the city and on all roads of the country, air raid sirens several times a day, rocket attacks on residential areas, curfews and other horrors of war.

OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity? TZ: For me, the motivation is my son, who is 15 years old, to give him the opportunity to study and live in a peaceful country.

My 2022 achievement is yet to come. I know for sure that I will overcome the challenge of war and in the future, I will definitely share my story with you.

My goal is to develop my creativity further, write new books, continue my scientific activity (I plan to transfer to a university in the UK, I don’t know yet how much this is possible). Find a new home, build my life and continue to contribute to the world.

OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique? TZ: Love for God. Everything I do, I pass through the love of God. And the older I get, the more I realize how balanced the laws of nature work and how natural everything is. At present, life is testing me, however, I believe in God and believe in people, and I know that everything will be fine.

OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career? TZ: State yourself. Someone hesitates or is afraid that he will be judged and not appreciated. Believe in yourself, in your creativity, in God. If your creativity is useful to the world, you should share it. Let other people know about you!

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work? TZ: I am immensely happy to meet the organizers of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London). Exactly one year ago, in the spring of 2021, I purposefully searched for international literary competitions in order to submit my book The History of Neon for professional jury evaluation and found the Open Eurasia competition. The message that the book “The History of Neon” carries is spelled out with wisdom and deep meaning. And my victory (3rd place in the prose category) is a testament to the fact that such literature is valuable and this is inspiring. Now I am giving an interview for your magazine as one of the winners of the contest. This is a small step towards popularizing myself as an author and my work. My country is at war, I don’t know what my life will be like next. I believe that the sun will shine again on my way, I believe in kind people, and I know for sure that involvement with the ECG Creative Guild (London) will help me overcome this thorny path.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NICK ROWAN PUBLISHER MARAT AKHMEDJANOV GUEST EDITOR GARETH STAMP EDITOR ASSISTANT VITALINA GOLOVACH DESIGN ALEXANDRA REY OPEN CENTRAL ASIA MAGAZINE PEOPLE 3 #44 SUMMER 2022

Cover: Bruce Gaston (see p.24) MAGAZINE PUBLISHED FOR EURASIAN CREATIVE GUILD

EDITORIAL TEAM ESBOL ABENOV TATIANA SHEVCHENKO ANNA LARI SHAMIL AKHMEDJANOV DISTRIBUTION TIMUR AKHMEDJANOV DANIEL AKHMED

ECG BOARD GARETH STAMP - CHAIRMAN MARAT AKHMEDJANOV - VICE CHAIRMAN ADVISORY BOARD ELENA ASLANYAN, ARMENIA ALDONA GRUPAS, UNITED KINGDOM ANATOLIY LOBOV, GEORGIA VICTORIA LEVIN, ISRAEL WARREN WILLS, AUSTRALIA ELENA BEZRUKOVA, KAZAKHSTAN AZIM AKMATOV, KYRGYZSTAN SURIYA YESENTAEVA, KAZAKHSTAN BAKHTYGUL MAKHAMBETOVA, KAZAKHSTAN ANASTASIA KUZMICHEVA, BELARUS ALINA MOSEIKINA, CYPRUS MARINA PODLESNAYA, MOLDOVA JONATHAN CAMPION, UK OKSANA ZHUKOVA, CRIMEA NATALIE BAYS, UK

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